Arugula
Eruca vesicaria sativa (domestic)
I
grew up with watercress salads; therefore, As soon as the soil reached 55ºF, I planted
the slightly more peppery taste/texture of the seeds in a 4-inch-wide band, using about 60
arugula was acceptable if not competitive until, seeds for each 12 inches. This was for an early
like Lawrence of Arabia, I wound up in Akaba. crop to be used in salads (usually when 3 inches
(Surely you must remember Peter O’Toole as tall). When you harvest the greens, leave sev-
Lawrence sitting on a camel and shouting out eral plants behind with 4 inches of clear space
to his army, “To Akaba”?) to grow taller for more spicy leaves to use as a
Akaba, a port city of Jordan on the Gulf of garnish or as a lightly steamed vegetable.
Akaba, was amazingly full of arugula on our Providing that you stay with smaller por-
February visit. I had great local lamb, broiled tions, as in mixed-green salads, you’ll avoid the
over branches of dried fennel and served on a oxalate that can be bothersome for people with
plate filled with just-blanched arugula tossed a history of kidney stones. (I’ve had only one of
in a goat cheese and yogurt dressing. Wonder these, so that’s not regarded as a “history” and
ful food, and from that somewhat exotic mo hasn’t put me off arugula!)
ment onward, watercress dropped into second
place.
As it turned out, arugula became one of my
first plantings in the new garden, and judging
by the speed at which it grew, the old Italian The Numbers
word rochetta, which had been morphed into Per 100 g raw (3.5 oz ; 1 cup): 25 calories, 0.66 g fat,
rocket (arugula’s other common name), became 0 g saturated fat, 3.7 g carbohydrate, 2.6 g protein,
an appropriate description! 1.6 g dietary fiber, 27 mg sodium
72 • GROWING AT THE SPEED OF LIFE
