Arugula based salads

[SBonner]

I'm a huge fan of arugula "rocket" and I'm just waiting for some seeds from a friend in the U.K. so I can start growing the European strain (smaller leaf, more peppery). I'm curious to your favourite salad (chef, restaurant, and dressing)utilising this delightful green.

Stephen

Edited April 28, 2005 by SBonner (log)

[davedemi]

I lived and worked in your fair city from 95 to 99 and we used Gianni's arugula.

He was an older retired man who used to grow it himself and deliver buckets of beautiful arugula (huge, frilly leaves) in pails of water to the restaurant. Is anyone there using it? Is it still around?

[eje]

This is pretty boring, I know; but, I like it so much, I seldom make anything else.

Marinate half a pint of halved cherry tomatoes in basic homemade salad dressing (dijon mustard, garlic, lemon, thyme, olive oil). Just before serving toss rocket and basil chiffonade with dressing and tomatoes. Spoon onto cold plates.

[Vancouver Lee]

At "Chez Vancovuer Lee", we serve an arugula salad with pear, asiago and apricots and a balsamic vinagrette.

Select seatings are available, but there is no truth to the rumour we'll be open for Dine Out Vancouver....

[Memo]

Chef Garrett Schack at the Temple restaurant, in Victoria, does a local Organic Arugula Salad - with blue cheese, apples & candied walnuts. My current favorite.

[little ms foodie]

White beans, really good canned tuna (in EVOO), red onion, capers, tossed in vineagrette from said tuna on a bed of rocket. YUM!

[carswell]

A Pat Wells salad: arugula dressed in lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil garnished with pitted black olives, crisp-broiled thin slices of pancetta and shavings of parmesan.

For an amazing synergy of flavours, serve undressed or lightly dressed arugula (micro is best) alongside a gorgonzola soufflé.

[canucklehead]

Got this from Nigella Lawson - very similiar to the Pat Wells method above. Dressed very simply with lemon juice and very good extra virgin olive oil - trying not to overdress. Salt and Pepper with shavings of parmesaen. Kind of cliche - but really simple and fresh.

Great as an accompaniment to grilled steaks.

[Arey]

I like it with just walnuts, shavings of aged Gouda and a basic vinaigrette, J.C.'s basic vinaigrette that is , only 3 to 1 for the oil and vinegar.

[malcolmjolley]

Arugula is a staple at our house and I'm a fan of very good fruity evoo, juice of a lemon and raw garlic...

...but I'm afraid mere mention of arugula/rocket propels me to plug shamelessly Gremolata's infamous "Arugula vs. Rocket Poll" and commentary thereon by eGulleters Farmer Dave and Paula Wolfert.

[SushiCat]

my all time favorite is on a bed of arugula (or rocket, I always thought they were the same), layer some smoked beef tenderloin (avail in Vancouver at JN&Z on Commercial) with a few extremely thin slices of red onion and shavings or parmegian. Drizzle with balsamic vinegarette or just aged balsamico and some good EVOO.

Lee, are you sure I can't book a table now for DOV in 2006!

[ludja]

A great salad from Alice Waters:

Blood orange/sherry vinegar vinaigrette with roasted beets, toasted walnuts and blood orange sections.

The flavors contrast very nicely with the rocket, err.. arugula

[Kevin72]

Like Memo above, I like it with pear, walnut, and blue cheese

Also:

Orange or Blood orange slices, arugula, and balsamic dressing

Arugula, shavings of young pecorino or manchego, olive oil, lots of black pepper, and lemon juice

It's really good as a base for grilled fish in the summer.

[FoodMan]

goat cheese rolled in walnuts, lightly pan fried in butter and served on top of arugula dressed with a light vinaigrette.

Elie

[ludja]

I haven't tried this yet, but am very intrigued by this recipe from Paula Wolfert that carswell just reminded me of on another thread: click

As mentioned, Wolfert describes this as a salad to serve with an olive-oil poached salmon. One of many good recipes to try in her book, Slow Mediterranean Kitchen.

[LindaK]

One of my standard salads is arugula and shaved fennel tossed with a citrus vinaigrette--I like fresh orange juice with a little orange zest. light but falvorful. It also makes a nice bed for cold grilled seafod or sliced meat if you want a more substantial course or main course salad.

[ludja]

I had an interesting arugula salad that a friend made recently.

The salad used a lemon vinagrette and arugula with the addition of cubed feta and cubed watermelon. I'm not sure if there was some finely sliced red onion in there as well. It was very nice. The contrasting texture and slight sweetness of the watermelon adds a nice element to the salty feta and bitter greens.

[Megan Blocker]

Arugula with lemon vinaigrette and curls of parmigiano...lots of black pepper.

[moosnsqrl]

great, fresh arugula, shaved Parm, the best olive oil your budget allows, your favorite acid/vinegar (I like grapefruit juice in season, but it's not terribly sour, so I typically add another to boost it)

c'est tout

[Malaclypse]

at Metropolitan restaurant in Utah we occasionally do a shaved fennel and apple salad with rocket and lemon truffle vin.

[sadistick]

Arugula is best when picked at infancy.

That being said, to showcase the ingredient, a very simple dressing is needed.

The best EVOO you can get, young, fresh garlic if available, lemon juice, and S&P.

Some fresh cherry tomatoes pair very nicely with this as well.

Edited to add - -

I nearly forgot!!! As it is nearing the end of the season, we made our other favourite Arugula 'salad' the other night as apart of my grandmothers bday party.

Take your arugula and give it a few rough chops - Mince some garlic - Fry arugula in good EVOO on high heat very quickly, at the end add garlic - - Place on top of freshly sliced (heirloom preferably!) tomatoes, and enjoy.

The contrast of flavours and temperatures is amazing.

Edited September 27, 2006 by sadistick (log)

[tigerwoman]

arugula goes very well with watercress - Nicks' Pizzeria in Forest Hills serves a classic salad with a honey mustard vinaigrette (more of a viniaigrette with a touch of sweetness) with arugula watercress, roasted peppers & sundried tomato. Yumm

We use arugula on sandwiches alot - like filet mignon, arugula and sundried tomato balsamic & parmesan tapenade.

[maher]

arugula, sliced red onions, sumac, lemon, evoo... the sumac gives it a nice zing. if you want to add a little sweetness, add a few small pieces of cooked and cooled beets.

[Austin]

Had some slightly wilted arugula recently and ground it up in a mortar and pestle with olive oil and garlic to make arugula pesto--I dare say it was better than the basil stuff! I dunked healthy dollps of the stuff into a minestrone-like veggie soup I had made that night. Absolutely delicious.

Austin

[sazji]

I make an arugula salad with a dressing of pomegranate molasses (soured with lemon if necessary, some brands are a bit sweet), olive oil, and lots of chopped mint, and some fresh ground pepper. Sprinkle with walnuts, grated parmesian and some raisins. Good stuff.