D  e  s  e  r  t     E  x  p  o  s  u  r  e     March 2006

It's All About Arugula

Grow your own and develop a taste for this spicy green.

Spring is coming up quickly, although you would never know it by the dryness of our area. No winter rain or snow, so that means virtually no runoff for the streams and rivers. I was kicking around my garden beds and was surrounded by a cloud of dust. I dug down around a foot in some areas and it just fell back in the hole like sand. This is not the best omen for those of us trying to get ready for spring plantings!

One of my favorite greens, arugula, is at a transition stage right now. March is usually one of the worst months for arugula, both in quality and availability. We're in a transition from Mexican-grown arugula to domestically grown product. Arugula fields in Mexico are weaker and tired, while newer fields in California are very tender right now, susceptible to adverse weather conditions. So my suggestion is to start growing your own in a container.

In Roman times arugula was grown both for its leaves and the seed, which was used for flavoring oils. It was also considered an aphrodisiac. (Come to think of it, the Romans thought of everything as an aphrodisiac, including terrible haircuts and very short skirts on men.) Arugula is an aromatic, peppery salad green that has a spicy, nutty flavor. It is also known as roquette, rocket, rugula and rucola, and is very popular in Italian cuisine. It grows wild in Asia and all over the entire Mediterranean area. Here in the Southwest, if you let arugula go to seed it will come up everywhere in your garden. Scientifically, it consists of three species, Eruca sativa, Diplotaxis tenuifolia and Diplotaxis muralis—all of which are not as appetizing-sounding as they should be. The green is also high in vitamins A and C.

Arugula grows in a range of soils, but produces best in loose, fertile loams. Soils should provide good water-holding capacity, good internal drainage, and a pH of 6.0-7.0. (Yes, I test my garden soil every spring before planting.) Arugula is a small, leafy plant often grown in a tight spacing of one square inch per plant. It's easy to grow and spacing can be adapted to suit your needs. Sow Arugula seeds 1/8 inch deep in a three-inch-wide band with seeds approximately one inch apart. Space garden rows at 18 inches apart. Do not thin. These seeds germinate best in soils around 40-55 degrees Fahrenheit. Germination will take three to four days. IMPORTANT: Arugula requires a steady supply of water for tender growth. Frequent irrigations are preferred because of shallow rooting. And while the type of soil does not affect the amount of total water needed, it does indicate how often arugula must be watered.

This plant also grows very well in containers. If you have a shallow bowl container or window box four to six inches deep, put an inch of fine gravel in the bottom and fill the container with a high-quality potting soil that has a slow-release fertilizer. Water well and let the soil soak up as much as possible over a couple of hours. Then scrape off one-half inch. Broadcast the arugula seed in the container and cover back up with the soil. For quicker germination, cover the container with clear plastic wrap, secure with string or a rubber band, poke several holes in the top with a toothpick and place in a sunny window or greenhouse. Once the seeds germinate, remove the plastic wrap. Keep the container in a west, south or southwest window. Do not thin out the plants, and make sure you water on a regular basis. If the seedlings dry out once and tip over, they're gone. Harvest by pulling out by the roots when the plants reach about three inches.

Arugula is a cool-weather crop that does best in April, May, September and October. Seeds are available at your local garden centers and online at Shepherds Seeds, Thompson-Morgan, Park Seed, Burpee, Shumway and Seed Savers Exchange.

You will find that this green is highly perishable. Once arugula is harvested, place in an airtight bag and put it in the refrigerator. Do not rinse until you are ready to use it, and then gently cut away any of the remaining roots.

Arugula is a versatile green that can be used in salads or sauteed with other veggies and it makes a great addition to sandwiches. Try chopping a quarter-cup into eight ounces of creamed cheese and use this as a sandwich spread to top turkey or ham. It is also a flavorful green to add into soups and sauces.

Here are a couple of recipes to try that can liven up your table:

Arugula, Watercress and Honey-Roasted Cashew Salad

3 cups arugula

3 cups watercress (stems removed)

1/2 cup chopped honey-roasted cashews

2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground sea salt

4 tablespoons olive oil

Toss together arugula, watercress, Balsamic vinegar, cashews and salt in a bowl. Drizzle with oil and toss to combine well. Crumble a little gorgonzola cheese on top if you wish.

Serves 6.

 

Arugula Pesto

1 bunch arugula (about 4 ounces)

2 3/4 teaspoons of coarse salt

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Fill a large bowl with ice water, set aside. Fill a medium-sized saucepan with water and 2 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, and bring it to a boil. Add the arugula and as soon as the water returns to a boil, remove the arugula with a slotted spoon and place it immediately into the ice water to stop the cooking process.

Transfer the arugula to several layers of paper toweling and allow to drain. Roll up the towels and gently squeeze as much moisture as possible from the arugula.

Place the arugula and garlic in a blender and add the oil, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and the pepper and puree until the mixture looks like thick pesto. There will be a small amount of oil on the surface. Use immediately. Serve the pesto over some freshly cooked pasta, gnocchi or boiled potatoes.

Alice Pauser is the owner of The Kitchen Gardener in Silver City. Contact her via email at alicepauser@msn.com.

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