Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Arugula

In this month's issue of Organic Gardening, I found a most appropriate article on Arugula. We've enjoyed our bush all winter and I was bummed to see that it had gone to seed. When the plant bolts don't throw it in the compost pile. Cut the white flowers and immature seed pods and use them as a garnish. The leaves will be too spicy to eat raw, so instead try braising mature leaves from bolted plants with a bit of lemon juice, chicken broth and garlic.

In the article, written by Barbara Wilde of Paris, she offers a complete growing guide of arugula.

Arugula (Eruca sative) is native to the Mediterranean basin, where it grows wild in fields. It tolerates both extreme cold and heat, meaning you can grow it year round in Zones 7 and southward, and for all but the coldest months in the rest of the country.

Best varieties:
'Roquette' - 35 days. Extremely frost-tolerant, arrow-shaped leaves.
'Sputnik' - 35 days. A mild-flavored variety with a wide range of leaf shapes.

Plant one today - you wont' be sorry!

7 comments:

Barb said...

Wow I am going to have to find an arugla plant,I think it would grow here,hope you are having a nice day it's been rainy and cold here today after a week of warm weather,we were spoiled.Talk to you soon thanks for the sweet comments....Barb

SILVER said...

plants that can also be used in the kitchen for food is always a cool idea for me!

Blind Fly Theater said...

Eruca sative, I wish you would thrive in my region... ohh, C'est la vie.

Corner Gardener Sue said...

I have found that arugula grows best in the early spring, and doesn't have a long season in Nebraska, where I live.

Thanks for visiting my blog. Since you came from California, how did some of your family end up in Nebraska?

You have some beautiful blooms!

Anonymous said...

Here in the UK this plant is I think called Rocket. If I could only have one plant in my garden this would be the one I would choose. I love this in salads and also in sandwiches.

kate smudges said...

I think I'll have to try growing this here ~ our growing season should be long enough for it. I'm glad I read this post.

Corner Gardener Sue said...

I am a scatterbrained person, and didn't remember reading this and commenting already! What I wanted to say now, was that I didn't know you could eat the flowers and seeds, and that you can cook it after it has bloomed. Thanks for the information!