Working in my community garden plot yesterday, I was pleased to look up and see John, the county DFL chair, weeding his own piece of paradise on the other end of the lot.
I nonchalantly sauntered over.
"Say, John," I said casually. "Your garden is looking great."
"Thank you," the genial retired psychologist said, hacking as his crabgrass.
"Yep," I said, easing into my pitch. "This rain has done wonders to my greens. Do you like arugula?"
"Funny that you asked," the mild-mannered gentleman replied. "I never tried it until today. But [a friend] gave my wife and I a full bag of it" --his hand sketched out a large grocery bag in the humid June air--"and we had it for dinner. Wow! It's delicious."
We exchanged pleasantries, then I sauntered back to my own garden. Foiled again, even by a man with impeccable progressive credentials.
Today, I still have a lot of arugula, a green much maligned in last year's Presidential election as somehow Not The Iowa, an exotic taste that never graced traditional Midwestern landscapes. Back then, I was puzzled at the reaction to a vegetable my ultra-conservative, lifelong-member-of-the NRA father taught me to grow and appreciate.
This year, though, I'm struck with the green's abundance. Yep, the stuff grows like the dickens. Like zucchini. Indeed, in these new days of the Obama administration, arugula may be The New Zucchini. Indeed, few Americans probably remember that zucchini--perhaps the most fecund garden vegetable--was itself little known in this country two generations ago.
Summer squash was long a mainstay, though most of the recipes found in my old victory-garden era editions of "The Joy of Cooking" call for generic "summer squash" and "crookneck" varieties. The 1946 edition calls zucchini "a delectable addition to the vegetable list." Other sources claim the green Italian squash truly made its inroads in the 1970s--a fact I vaguely remember.
The 1946 zucchinis could be served with a creamy dressing, boiled and creamed, sauted, or fried. Only later do zucchini muffins come to dominate the country's culinary landscape. A wandering plant, for the squash itself springs from the Western Hemisphere; Columbus is said to have brought back its seeds. The green zucchini appears to have arisen from a late 19th century mutation in Italy.
Now it is the stuff of jokes, for most gardeners act on the side of caution and plant too many squash. From the fecundity, the veggie desserts were concocted by cooks desperate to find something to do with all that damned zucchini.
Now it's arugula's turn, and a bumper harvest put it within striking distance of zucchini-proportion yields. Growers to from salads and omelets to more elaborate concoctions like arugula pesto, arugula makes its way from Italy, though it is no exotic there, having been eaten since Roman times. Italian immigrants brought a taste for the plant to the New World, and it took off in the 1990s.
Some have tried to turn the veggie into a political symbol. For me, it's simpy another reminder that culinary culture changes--and sometimes for the good.
Amanda, also inundated with this years tide of arugula, sends this recipe, along with news that she's salad-ed out." We think this recipe is as American as apple pie.
From Meals Matter
Spaghetti with Arugula, Roasted Peppers & Prosciutto
The complex flavors of a good Parmesan, such as Reggiano, and a high-quality prosciutto are essential for this pasta. Less expensive products will often contribute more saltiness than true flavor to the final result. Ingredients
12 ounces Whole-wheat spaghetti
1 tablespoon Extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves Garlic, minced
1/8-1/4 teaspoon Crushed red pepper
2 ounces Thinly sliced prosciutto, trimmed of fat and cut into thin strips (1/2 cup)
1 (12-ounce) jar Roasted red peppers, rinsed and cut into thin strips (1 1/2 cups)
8 cups Arugula leaves (8 ounces)
2/3 cup Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/3 cup Chopped walnuts, toasted Preparation
1. Cook spaghetti in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, until fragrant but not colored, 1 to 2 minutes. Add prosciutto and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in roasted peppers and arugula; increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring often, until the arugula is wilted, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Reserving 1/3 cup of the cooking water, drain the spaghetti and place in a warmed large bowl. Add the reserved water, arugula mixture, 1/3 cup Parmesan and pepper; toss to coat well. Sprinkle with walnuts and the remaining Parmesan and serve.
Makes 4 servings, about 2 cups each.
Image: Arugula, from the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.
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