Arugulated

[Jenise]

Arugula: how can anything so easy to grow be so good? The darn stuff is unstoppable! IT'S COMING UP ALL OVER MY YARD. I'm having to rip it out--just killed about 200 little seedlings when I put in my tomatoes just now.

If there's anyone who has thought about planting this and hasn't gotten around to it, hesitate no longer. No matter how brown your thumb, this will grow for you!

Your climate must be perfect for arugula. I planted some two months ago, and it did well until the heat. Even though I had in in a shady part of the raised beds, it bolted and that was that. I buy it now from the Farmer's Market for folks who live at the 3000 ft. level and it is wonderful.

[Jenise]

Karen, I must be, but I had no idea, I've never grown it before. But it sure does well here. Dies off in the winter and comes back in the spring stronger than ever. Everywhere. It's now the weed that comes up between the paver blocks in my front courtyard.

You must have the type of arugula which is a hardy perennial - long, narrow serrated leaf that comes back each year from the roots of the previous years plant. Yes, it is invasive ! I quit ripping it out because it makes a fantastic ground cover and the lovely little yellow flowers are quite nice for filler in a cut bouquet. Oh yes, if you let it go to seed you will have a lawn of arugula to mow - so I have a lot of arugula flower arrangements. This is the earliest plant in my spring yard.

I also have the biannual arugula which is more commonly found in markets - the larger, flat, lobulated, more tender leaf. This is such
a prolific seed producer that it also is hard to stop. This variety will seed itself for several crops in one season here in Wisconsin.

I use arugula in just about anything - as a pesto - as a pasta sauce with or without tomatoes - as a last minute topping on pizza - solo salad or mixd salad -as a base for cold grilled meat salad. It is great dressed with lemon juice/evoo/capers or with balsamic/evoo.

I am glad it is so prolific and easy to grow in my region.

[Jenise]

Christina, yes that's exactly the variety I grow, yellow flowers and all. I didn't realize it was a perennial when I bought it, rather I chose it from a seed catalog because it sounded like the spicier arugula I used to buy in Europe. It's considered an Italian variety. And it's sometimes almost too strong, especially late in the season, but I'm not unhappy with it. I can always buy the other if I want a milder ingredient.

Maybe we should have arugula for our next featured ingredient.

It is the variety I saw growing wild all over Capri . It is more pungent and it does get stronger later in the season. At that point I use just the inner, young leaves - I think they remain less bitter. The catalogs are confusing -sometimes referred to as "hearty". I bought both types of seed because I didn't know what would grow here and I didn't understand them until after the first season. If it is so hearty in Wisconsin and on Capri it must grow anywhere !

Not sure that arugula alone would make a whole month interesting. Perhaps combining it with other leaves ? I am also picking fresh watercress .. any others ?

[Jenise]

It is the variety I saw growing wild all over Capri.

Wish I'd said that.

It is more pungent and it does get stronger later in the season. At that point I use just the inner, young leaves - I think they remain less bitter

Yes, I keep pinching off the tender new clusters when they're just 3" long.

As for arugula not being enough of a topic for a month, even as I suggested it I thought so too. But two minutes of googling arugula recipes changed my mind. But if it proves otherwise, we can quickly change. Part of the reason for changing the name from IOTM to Freatured Ingredient was to lose the calendar obligation. We can change whenever we want, so let's see how it goes.

Sounds as bad as mint and bergamot.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Paul, I thought bergamot was a citrus fruit. No?

The name "bergamot" is also given to a perennial herb on the mint family that grows wild in the northeast USA. It's also known as Oswego Tea and bee-balm. The lavender or red flowers are much frequented by bumblebees, hummingbird moths, and hummingbirds. The leaves are very aromatic and have an aroma and flavor reminiscent of the citrus bergamot, hence the use of the name for the herb. You can turn any tea into "poor man's Earl Grey" by adding a few bergamot herb leaves when infusing the tea.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

The name "bergamot" is also given to a perennial herb on the mint family that grows wild in the northeast USA. It's also known as Oswego Tea and bee-balm. The lavender or red flowers are much frequented by bumblebees, hummingbird moths, and hummingbirds. The leaves are very aromatic and have an aroma and flavor reminiscent of the citrus bergamot, hence the use of the name for the herb. You can turn any tea into "poor man's Earl Grey" by adding a few bergamot herb leaves when infusing the tea.

-Paul W.

AHHHHHHH, thank you. All becomes clear. I had no idea, but in fact just yesterday saw an unfamiliar mint that had "bee" in the name. I'll bet that's what it was.

I'll trade you your invasive arugula for my invasive lemon balm.

Kim, I will trade you 1/2 of my tarragon for your lemon balm, even if I know not what to use it for. Good to see you madam.

I'd sure like to take you up on that, Bob. It looks like my tarragon plant won't be coming up this year. My chives are already in full bloom but no sign of the tarragon. That's too bad because it was a really tasty plant and well established.