Rucola / arugula
Eruca sativa
Other names
Rocket
Similar veggies:
Salad mix, lamb’s lettuce, summer purslane, winter purslane, purple & golden frills
A quick introduction
Rucola grows in spring and fall and under favourable conditions we can have several cuttings from this 'cut-and-come-again' green. The serrated leaves taste spicy and have a nice crunchy texture (sometimes we also grow a variety that has very round leaves so it’s a little harder to recognize and can be confused with spinach). Rucola is mostly eaten raw in salads but can also be used to make pestos or to garnish pastas and pizzas. Adverse weather conditions, such as prolonged heat or strong winds, can enhance the bitterness and spiciness of the leaves. If the rucola has turned out too strong for your taste, we recommend you use some honey in your salad dressing to balance the flavours or to make a pesto.
Storage
As with all leafy greens we recommend washing rucola in cold water (we do pre-wash it at the farm), then spin dry it and store in a closed container in the fridge. This way it will keep for almost a week.
Season
Fall and winter
Suggestions for preparation
Rucola is quite a versatile plant and can be used in salads but also in cooked preparations or to make pestos. The delicate white rucola flowers are edible as well and add a delicious spicy yet sweet note to salads.
Do you want some salad inspiration? Here are Stadsgroenteboer Andres' basic guidelines to make a filling salad. Make sure you have at least a few of the ingredient types below:
Edible rucola flowers!
-Crunchy & juicy elements like kohlrabi, carrots, turnips.
-Spicy elements such as mustard greens, rucola or radishes.
-Green elements like carrot greens, lettuce and radish tops (if very tender).
-Spring onions, chives or young garlic.
-Filling elements like roasted sunflower seeds, walnuts, hazelnuts, sprouts, tofu or mushrooms
-Some delicious edible flowers such as nasturtiums, borage or rucola flowers.
-A vinaigrette with good olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper and whatever else you like.
And voilá, there you have your salad!