Arugula (a.k.a. rocket) is a cool-weather crop. Long days and warm weather make it bolt, or flower, and bring an unpleasantly bitter flavor to the leaves. Wild arugula is foraged in spring and again the fall. Cultivated arugula is grown year-round, thanks to coastal, temperate growing areas and winter greenhouses.
Arugula is a dark green, peppery leaf that works equally well in salads or as a cooked green. It is available year-round, but is best when the weather is mild.
This dish--roast chicken on a bed of warm bread salad with wilted arugula, pine nuts, and currants--is based on the best known creation of San Francisco's famed Zuni Cafe.
Mild sweet persimmons brighten up peppery arugula in this simple, pretty salad.
