There is not a whole lot coming up in our garden right now, but we do have some salad greens, carrots, and arugula growing strong despite a number of frosts and two days of snow. I have not had much experience with arugula, other than adding some to salad and on sandwiches, so I decided to research the leaf vegetable and find some recipes to help use up our surplus of the plant.

The hardy, dark green leaves of the annual (also referenced as rocket) are packed with vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium. The flowers, seed pods, and mature seeds are edible in addition to the leaf. Cultivation of the plant did not really begin on a large scale until a little over 20 years ago, although it has been harvested in the wild for thousands of years. In my experience arugula grows quite well in cold conditions and without needing much sunlight. In fact, the resilient plant is the most abundant item in our garden during this cold, wet season.

Arugula has a strong, somewhat bitter or spicy essence that adds a peppery flavor to salads and recipes. I have enjoyed using it as a zesty topping for homemade pizza, instead of our usual spinach. It also works well in pasta with some olive oil, tomatoes, spices, and cheese.

I came across several versions of arugula pesto in my research on the leafy green, a recipe I had to try since pesto is a valued commodity in our family. The pesto can be a simple mix of oil, salt, arugula and pepper; however, I selected a recipe that includes a few more ingredients to add to the texture and flavor.

Arugula Pesto

Ingredients:

2 cups of packed arugula leaves (remove the stems)
1/2 cup of walnuts
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan or Asiago cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Brown the garlic cloves with skins on, then remove and cool so you can peel the skins. Toast the walnuts until lightly browned in a pan or oven. In a food processor, mix the arugula, salt, walnuts, and garlic. Slowly add the olive oil while processing. Pour into a bowl and stir in the cheese. Enjoy with pasta or as a sauce for pizza!