Before I joined
Restoration Farm, green was just another color on a paint chip and iceberg was
about as exotic as things got when it came to lettuce. How things have
changed. Summer salads now feature heaps
of leafy red and butter lettuce, piled high with young and tender peppery
greens like mizuna and arugula.
These little greens have
big personalities and give salad lots of extra bite. Arugula grows wild in southern Europe and is a relative of the radish. It has a leaf shaped like an exclamation
point and a sharp flavor resembling mustard or pepper.
I’m even getting
adventurous when it comes to greens, moving beyond salads to include them in
hot dishes. This recipe for Linguine with Tapenade, Tomatoes and Arugula from Everyday Food defies my iceberg roots. Arugula leaves are quickly tossed with hot
whole wheat pasta and sautéed cherry tomatoes for extra spice.
I even add an extra local
touch, and top the pasta with fresh feta cheese from the Catapano Goat Cheese
Dairy on the North Fork of Long Island.
Not bad for a guy who once thought iceberg was the only shade of green.
©2012 T.W. Barritt All
Rights Reserved
I am so happy that you discovered the taste & flavour of arugula! I sow them every year in batches!
ReplyDeleteThis pasta is a great, simple but tasty one to use it in!
I love the topped goat's feta cheese,...It must add tons of flavour: Yummy too! :)
Aren't you the adventuresome one. As far as greens go, I still haven't gotten past salads yet. Love that homegrown arugula. So different from what I find in a store and I bet it is more tender too.
ReplyDeleteSam
That's my kind of pasta dish! Add a few herbs from your own herb garden, too, and send it right over the moon.
ReplyDeleteI love the sound of that arugula pasta dish. You're right that using a variety of greens can really jazz up a salad. Greens don't do too well in Utah gardens because it gets too hot too soon most years, but I am attempting some fall greens this year! Fingers crossed!
ReplyDeleteHi T.W!
ReplyDeleteI've been having the darndest time introducing Marion to Arugula. She's an iceberg gal from way back when and she just "tosses" it whenever I try to sneak it in. However, she adores linguine (no garlic) so I may just rustle up a pasta salad like yours to entice her over to greener pastures:)
A safe and enjoyable Labor Day weekend to you and yours, T.W. Thanks for sharing...
Dear T.W., I love all those different greens too. They do make a terrific salad and are excellent with spaghetti.
ReplyDeleteI am glad to see that you like them too. Have a wonderful evening. Blessings, Catherine
Hah....my father wouldn't eat anything BUT iceberg. It always made me cringe. (With thousand island dressing, of course)
ReplyDeleteI LOVE arugula. And yours is perfection.
I really need to stop reading this blog during my lunch. Now I'm craving a pizza with arugula and parm cheese! Your macaroni (as Luigi would prefer I say, instead of pasta) dish looks amazing!
ReplyDeleteNot bad is right...your pasta looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteDear T.W. these look really awesome I love it!:)
ReplyDeleteHi TW,
ReplyDeleteI could eat fresh arugula everyday....it's my go to green. Hope you had a great summer! I hate to see the produce go.....
Stacey
Isn't homegrown arugula the best! It's so potent and spicy and always beats out what you find at the store!
ReplyDeleteI was in France recently and was discussing what to do with iceberg lettuce with a French lady I met; she said she cooks it with garlic and olive oil, says it is delicious this way.
ReplyDelete