Spring is here
And the vegetables, they are plentiful. I exclaimed aloud twice in the produce section while grocery shopping on Saturday. First in dismay at the astronomical price of organic asparagus. ($7.49 a pound! I went on to buy frozen.) Then in surprise and delight when I saw something I hadn’t come across in months, fresh arugula. (Only $1.99–take that, organic asparagus!) I went on to fill my basket with all sorts of lovely fruits and vegetables, and I breathed a sigh of happiness that spring is finally here, even in the produce aisle.
It took me a long time to come around to the peppery, distinctive flavor of arugula. Now it is one of my favorite greens, and a staple in one of our favorite easy recipes, grilled flank steak with shaved parmesan served over arugula salad with a lemon-y dressing.
Joy of joys, though, we had leftover arugula, which I was able to incorporate into a salad the following night. I made a shallot dressing and topped the greens with sliced fresh strawberries, toasted almonds and Capra goat cheese with honey. It has taken me some years of experimenting with salads to acquire a sense for them, since the potential ingredients of lettuce, dressing, fruit, cheese, nuts, etc. can clash so wildly. This combination, though, was a success.
April 19th, 2005 at 5:49 am
sounds yummy. my coworker is a big fan of fruit/nut additions to salads.
April 19th, 2005 at 8:56 am
Ever read Under the Tuscan Sun? There is a FAB!!! recipe in there for pasta with arugala. It’s easy and quick, and completely delicious.
April 19th, 2005 at 1:31 pm
It really was wonderful.
April 20th, 2005 at 4:03 pm
I didn’t read the book, but I have my own Italian arugula story. When I went to Rome a few years ago, I had some Italian, and at one restaurant tried to order an omelet. The waiter asked what I wanted on it. I picked arugula and he began to berate me and ask if that was really what I wanted, and there was something in there about a hen’s eye, and me being crazy. But I did get my arugula omelet, and it was quite tasty.