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Arugula, I Love You.


wordwiseguy

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It is one of my favorite pizza toppings as well. I scatter it over the pizza right out of the oven and it wilts right in. One of my favorite homemade pizzas to use it with is prosciutto and chaunterelle. The wife likes it on sausage and pepper pizzas.

Not a fan of it cooked though; it does lose its peppery bite and gets to me too bitter.

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I've got a fantastic tart recipe which involves a shortcrust base with chunks of unpeeled waxy potatoes, taleggio, caramelized onion, cream, eggs + nutmeg and lots of rocket (aka arugula). oooh yeah.

Fi Kirkpatrick

tofu fi fie pho fum

"Your avatar shoes look like Marge Simpson's hair." - therese

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I had some in Florence served as a base for gnocchi in a Gorgonzola cream sauce, and it was outstanding. Also served as a base for tagliata (thinly sliced grilled beef filet) and drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette. Squisito!

Wow!!

What about arugula gnocchi or arugula pasta instead of insipid spinach? Would be AWESOME in an amatricia sauce.

Must investigate how to preserve the pepperyness through the cooking process. Maybe watercress is the (off-topic) answer here.

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Would be AWESOME in an amatricia sauce?

Whoaaaaaaaaaaaa calm down here - everything has its place in life.

Arugual and amtriciana sauce - big fat no.

Last night we ate piadina (warm) with a stracchino and arugula.

simple and tasty.

One of my favorite arugula things is: focaccia and then top with prosciutto crudo, grated parmesan, and arugula.

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Whoaaaaaaaaaaaa calm down here - everything has its place in life.

Arugual and amtriciana sauce - big fat no.

Uh, why?

I understand that it's not "authentic", but thank you for pointing it out. It might taste pretty good though - salty and meaty, sweet with onion, acidic from tomatoes, and peppery pasta.

Edited by eunny jang (log)
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I like to add gorgonzola (usually the dolce kind) to my pizza, kind of towards the end of baking. Then when I take it out of the oven, cut the slices and then sprinkle on chopped arugula. (The arugula tends to stick to the knife if I add it first.)

jayne

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  • 7 years later...

My current patch is wild and crazy.. can you eat the flowers?

I usually till it under after its spring growth, this time I keep it!! Its alot more bitter and peppery with the heat. But not bad!!

7900383232_a645a9f5c1_h.jpg

Its good to have Morels

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My current patch is wild and crazy.. can you eat the flowers?

Absolutely, and if you let it set seeds, you can also eat the young seed pods (which are like the leaves taken to a whole 'nother level!) And older seedpods that aren't woody yet can be pickled to great effect.

Elizabeth Campbell, baking 10,000 feet up at 1° South latitude.

My eG Food Blog (2011)My eG Foodblog (2012)

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Arugula is also known as 'Rocket' in Australia, which is a good description of its flavor when it's mature, but it's sold mainly here as baby leaves (Am currently publishing a book on Edible Flowers & Leaves, so have done lots of research, tasting and growing over the past couple of years!). If you love Arugula you may also like Mizuna, the Japanese equivalent, same shaped leaves only longer and more feathery, same hot peppery-mustardy taste but with that distinctly big Japanese Wasabi hit on the back palate. Easy to grow and self seeds year after year. I like both in salad with finely shaved bulb fennel & citrus segments, dressed with reduced balsamic, oil and sauteed nuts (hazel, wal or macadamias). And I'm with the pizza lovers, can't beat fresh arugula atop a pizza blanc drizzled with nut or truffle oil..

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All the plant is edible, below is the entry from my book on Edible Flowers & Leaves:

ARUGULA ….……………………………………………………………........................................................................................................................

Eruca vesicaria. Also known as Arrugula, Rocket, Roquette, Rucetta, Roqueto, Tira and White pepper leaf. High in Vitamin C and Potassium, the Ancient Romans considered the whole of the arugula plant an aphrodisiac and ate the leaves, flowers, young seedpods and mature seeds. In India arugula seeds are called Gargeer and in Slovenia their flowers, seeds and leaves are added to the traditional philo-wrapped cheese and greens called Burek (find the recipe at theculinarylibrary.com). If you ever travel to the Gulf of Naples and visit the Island of Ischia, try their unique alcoholic digestive made from arugula, it’s called Rucolino. In Egypt’s Sulk or spice markets, fresh arugula flowers and leaves are eaten for breakfast with stewed fava (small brown broad) beans and in Italy rocket is widely grown in Veneto and the flowers and baby leaves used raw in salads, with feta, pizza and pastas. Flowers taste nutty, slightly spicy-peppery, have 4 long club-ended petals the palest yellow-white in color and spidery crimson or violet veins. Both the form and savory flavor are exquisite.

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  • 2 weeks later...

One thing I noticed.. when I picked some last weekend. It seems that arugala may have different varieties.. I have some that are drk leafy green and then a variety that seems a light green color and smaller/narrower fronds. Each also sport just a we bit different flavor profile. I'll see if I can get a picture!!

Paul

Its good to have Morels

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  • 2 weeks later...

Longtime egullet lurker drawn out by arugula of all things!

I love arugula on white pizza, egg salad sandwiches, and I especially love Barefoot Contessa's Parmesan Chicken served with lemon juice and olive oil-dressed arugula.

My favorite salad is arugula with lemon juice, olive oil, toasted pine nuts, cherry tomatoes, and grated parm. Nothing new, but always delicious.

Kate

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Welcome Kate - that sounds delicious. I am waiting for the weather to cool down so I can start some arugula. Great to be able to pick a bit and use it almost like an herb in its youth.

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