Friday Recipe Blog: To The Moon Rocket Salad

To a salad bowl of young arugula leaves add:
1C each tiny cherry tomatoes and diced cucumber
1/2C purple onions sliced shoestring-style.

I tossed these ingredients with a little fresh cracked pepper, the juice of ½ a small lemon, and a very nice creamy cucumber/garlic specialty dressing that is bottled for the Pearl Store in Micanopy FL.

I really love the smoky, peppery flavor of arugula, otherwise known as rocket or rucola. It is a hardy Spring/early Summer herb in the mustard family and grows from seed to harvest in about 50 days. You've tasted it if you've eaten baby greens salads (mesclun) at restaurants, or from cello packages sold by grocers.

I strongly urge my brothers to plant some out in their gardens this year. Arugula has only about 1 calorie per cup of leaves, and it is a good source of vitamin C.

Try these salad combinations with a vinaigrette dressing: crispy bacon, avocado and arugula; grilled shrimp, mango and arugula; previously cooked and drained red, white or garbanzo beans, arugula, and toasted slivered almonds. Serve a grilled fish filet on a bed of fresh arugula leaves and drizzle with lemon juice. You will in nowise be disappointed.