Tuesday at Raincatcher’s we noticed that the arugula was bolting. Lovely little white blossoms crowned the tops of all the arugula plants in our raised bed. The bees couldn’t have been happier.
However, it also reminded us that the time had come for one final harvest. Carefully we clipped our way through the plants with bees buzzing all around us. A very generous amount of arugula, at least 6 pots full, was harvested and shared with our volunteers.
Here is a delightful recipe for using fresh, peppery arugula brought in straight from the garden. A nice addition to the salad would be 1 bunch fresh roasted beets. Be creative, arugula supports a variety of many different ingredients.
Arugula Growing at The Raincatcher’s Garden
Arugula Salad
Ingredients:
¼ cup sliced natural almonds
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 ½ tablespoons red-wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups baby arugula (about 3 ounces)
3 or 4 radishes (thinly sliced)
Directions:
- Cook almonds in oil in a small skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until pale golden. Cool almonds in oil, (nuts will get darker as they cool). Transfer almonds with a slotted spoon to a small bowl and season with salt.
- Stir together shallot, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, salt and oil from almonds in a large bowl.
- Using a mandoline or very sharp knife, thinly slice radishes.
- Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over the top and toss well to coat the leaves.
Yield: 4 servings
Note: Freshly “pulled” radishes were added to the salad, as well.
Linda Alexander
Find out more about arugula here .
And here’s another way to use harvested arugula.
DALLAS GARDEN BUZZ 