Arugula reminds me that tastes can change. Growing up my daughter called arugula “angry lettuce” but now she’s a vegan who eats it happily. Thanks for the recipes!
Arugula became trendy a few decades ago here but it grew in my grandparent's garden in the 1960s. They were both immigrants to the USA from southern Italy. I love its unique flavor in salads or lightly sauteed.
I absolutely LOVE arugula. We have it growing wild in our yard (escapees from cultivation) and I can 100% smell it, even at a distance. My mouth waters immediately
Great post! We LOVE arugula and this year, I decided to sprinkle a couple seed packets into raised beds.... Have given them all multiple "hair cuts" and they just keep producing!! It's been THE BEST and we've been having simple arugula salad 3-4x per week! Super simple work lemon, evoo, pecorino and anchovies.
The only salad leaf I'm usually brave enough to use is baby spinach. Would Arugula taste nice paired with that? I do like Arugula but find it a bit bitter if it's just that. Also, DID NOT know you could make Arugula pesto - that sounds more up my alley. Also mind blown a bit, is Arugula also called Rocket? duhhh
Yes, baby spinach would be nice with arugula, maybe you can start with more spinach than arugula. Pesto is slightly bitter, but again, you could use half spinach half arugula to tame the bitterness!
I'm an '80s girl, too. And I love Arugula... it never left my kitchen. Do you remember the book The United States of Arugula? It must have come out during the heyday of arugula and when it was used pretentiously.
Before our 1st trip to Italy in 2010, arugula was something “fancy” restaurants added to salads for a “classy touch”. 1st time we had it with prosciutto on pizza in Lucca, we were sold! I use it for summer salads frequently now. Will have to dig out my blender and try doing pesto.
Looking forward to the Sunday launch party and glad you had a pleasant Easter. LOVed the poppy picture and Livia with her hair clippers😃
I don’t think arugula even existed in Australia in the 80s 😊 unless you were one of the Italian families growing it in your backyard so I didn’t know I might be out of style. It is my absolute favourite salad green and have always meant to get around to making a pesto so your reminder has inspired me.
Such a lovely read. We absolutely love arugula too- here in the UK we call it rocket. We usually grow two varieties of it in the vegetable patch - wild rocket, which is particularly peppery and grows prolifically; and a special cultivated variety that is a bit milder, but just as delicious. We happily include it in as many salads as we can!
Called rocket here, I adore arugula but often just lightly dress it with EVO and white balsamic just before it hits the table and enjoy it as a side dish to everything the warmer it gets.
You mentioned salad burnet though, which I have growing in a pot by the back door but which I've never yet found a satisfactory use for - any recommendations of preparations or recipes?
Salad burnet might be my favourite foraged herb 😍 I love its taste that ranges from cucumber to walnuts, so I usually add it to mixed salads - just the leaves without stalks. And in Cucina Povera there’s a recipe for filled pasta from Liguria, pansoti, where salad burnet is part of the filling along with other foraged herbs!
If you use just the leaves in salads I'm starting to think my cultivated variety has much smaller leaves than wild, they're about the size of my little fingernail! And I'll look out for that recipe when I get the book - might be moving house so for ease of packing I'm on a cookbook buying ban at the moment!
You see every time I've tried this they've just ended up left in the bottom of the bowl even when I've dressed it rather than just put the dressing on the side (many family members have strong dressing opinions!)
Arugula reminds me that tastes can change. Growing up my daughter called arugula “angry lettuce” but now she’s a vegan who eats it happily. Thanks for the recipes!
Angry lettuce is THE BEST definition of arugula - so creative and full of wit!
Arugula became trendy a few decades ago here but it grew in my grandparent's garden in the 1960s. They were both immigrants to the USA from southern Italy. I love its unique flavor in salads or lightly sauteed.
This is new to me: I’ve never cooked with arugula, but I’m definitely trying soon
I absolutely LOVE arugula. We have it growing wild in our yard (escapees from cultivation) and I can 100% smell it, even at a distance. My mouth waters immediately
It produces the same effect on me whenever I smell it. And I’m salivating right now at the mere idea of an arugula salad
Great post! We LOVE arugula and this year, I decided to sprinkle a couple seed packets into raised beds.... Have given them all multiple "hair cuts" and they just keep producing!! It's been THE BEST and we've been having simple arugula salad 3-4x per week! Super simple work lemon, evoo, pecorino and anchovies.
I might do the same, and I might involve my daughter in sprinkling the seeds!
The only salad leaf I'm usually brave enough to use is baby spinach. Would Arugula taste nice paired with that? I do like Arugula but find it a bit bitter if it's just that. Also, DID NOT know you could make Arugula pesto - that sounds more up my alley. Also mind blown a bit, is Arugula also called Rocket? duhhh
Yes, baby spinach would be nice with arugula, maybe you can start with more spinach than arugula. Pesto is slightly bitter, but again, you could use half spinach half arugula to tame the bitterness!
I'm an '80s girl, too. And I love Arugula... it never left my kitchen. Do you remember the book The United States of Arugula? It must have come out during the heyday of arugula and when it was used pretentiously.
ok, I just added The United States of Arugula to my read list! I didn't know this book, but I know I will enjoy it a lot!
Before our 1st trip to Italy in 2010, arugula was something “fancy” restaurants added to salads for a “classy touch”. 1st time we had it with prosciutto on pizza in Lucca, we were sold! I use it for summer salads frequently now. Will have to dig out my blender and try doing pesto.
Looking forward to the Sunday launch party and glad you had a pleasant Easter. LOVed the poppy picture and Livia with her hair clippers😃
Indeed I love arugula on pizza with prosciutto: my father would order that often in pizzeria! And thank you for joining us on Sunday 🥂
I don’t think arugula even existed in Australia in the 80s 😊 unless you were one of the Italian families growing it in your backyard so I didn’t know I might be out of style. It is my absolute favourite salad green and have always meant to get around to making a pesto so your reminder has inspired me.
How great to find so many arugula lovers! I’d be happy to know if you’ll try the pesto: I love it especially with roasted bread and soft boiled eggs.
Such a lovely read. We absolutely love arugula too- here in the UK we call it rocket. We usually grow two varieties of it in the vegetable patch - wild rocket, which is particularly peppery and grows prolifically; and a special cultivated variety that is a bit milder, but just as delicious. We happily include it in as many salads as we can!
I’m so happy to find other rocket lovers here! And how interesting to know you have two varieties of it! I would be partial to the wild, peppery one!
That’s our favourite too 💚
You have inspired me with 'taste-visions' of arugula pesto. Thank you!
Happy to be an inspiration for pesto! 😋
I sowed arugula outside this week- spring *is* coming, even in New England😅
Finally!! Though, today I’m dressed exactly like in winter 🥶
I love arugula! I had actually forgotten about arugula pesto, this remind me I used to drizzle it on fish.
I love it on my pizza too, something you occasionally see here in the US now too.
I do hope you share that chocolate cake recipe--your cakes are my favorites!
It is delicious on pizza, with shaved parmigiano! 😋😋 and I’ll be sharing Livia’s chocolate cake soon!
Called rocket here, I adore arugula but often just lightly dress it with EVO and white balsamic just before it hits the table and enjoy it as a side dish to everything the warmer it gets.
You mentioned salad burnet though, which I have growing in a pot by the back door but which I've never yet found a satisfactory use for - any recommendations of preparations or recipes?
Salad burnet might be my favourite foraged herb 😍 I love its taste that ranges from cucumber to walnuts, so I usually add it to mixed salads - just the leaves without stalks. And in Cucina Povera there’s a recipe for filled pasta from Liguria, pansoti, where salad burnet is part of the filling along with other foraged herbs!
If you use just the leaves in salads I'm starting to think my cultivated variety has much smaller leaves than wild, they're about the size of my little fingernail! And I'll look out for that recipe when I get the book - might be moving house so for ease of packing I'm on a cookbook buying ban at the moment!
yes, tiny leaves! but I'm annoyed by stalks :P so I usually strip them from the stalks and mix them into the salad.
You see every time I've tried this they've just ended up left in the bottom of the bowl even when I've dressed it rather than just put the dressing on the side (many family members have strong dressing opinions!)