Spring before summer
In recent weeks we have been busy sowing seeds and transplanting seedlings at a furious pace. Getting cucumbers, tomatoes and scallions in the ground already has us thinking about summer harvests. Throw in the corn, melons, summer squash, and peppers we have started in the nursery and we can almost taste the summer night bar-b-cues. But, our weekly farm stand is a good reminder that it is only May, which means cool mornings and spring crops. It’s so exciting to get our first harvests out of the gardens, but spring greens and radishes can be a bit underwhelming when we walk out of the nursery thinking about fresh sliced tomatoes and grilled zucchini.
Still, there’s much to enjoy in harvests throughout the year, and we want to highlight some of our favorite in-season crops as the year progresses. So, in the spirit of celebrating the flavor in spring greens, our feature crop this week is arugula.
A versatile green, with some kick
When most people hear spring greens, they think of kale, spinach and lettuce. And, as one of our customers recently suggested, “eating kale brings back memories of that time I ate a handful of grass as a kid.” Sure, kale may not do much to appease your sweet tooth, but that doesn’t mean spring greens lack flavor. And, the king of flavor amongst the spring greens is undoubtedly arugula.
Arugula is a fast growing green that carries a kick. If the days are warm or the plant is allowed to mature too long, the kick can get so strong it becomes inedible. But, under the right conditions, fresh arugula makes an awesome addition to any salad or sandwich, and it even stands alone well as a side to most savory dishes.
Growing strategy
We grow arugula in very high density, planting 10-12 rows on a 30” bed with only 1-2 inches between each plant. The high density planting makes harvesting and weed management easier. Because arugula germinates very quickly, there is usually no opportunity for weeds to get started. And, after germinating, the high density allows the plants to form a dense mat, preventing any weed seeds from getting light.
Arugula is best harvested when the leaves are 3-6 inches in length. The longer you wait, the stronger the flavor. If temperatures are warm, arugula will bolt quickly, causing the flavor to get stronger than most people can stomach. We harvest our arugula by hand, using a sharp harvest knife to quickly cut leaves by the handful. A cool rinse immediately after harvest takes the “field heat” out of the crop and helps to prevent wilting.
Use caution when allowing arugula to bolt. A single plant produces thousands of seeds, and while they are easy to harvest for next year’s planting, if you forget and leave a plant in the ground after it seeds you will have arugula taking over the garden next spring.
Arugula in the kitchen
After harvesting, the next step is to put arugula to use in the kitchen. Here are three ways we use this “spicy green.”
- Salads – Arugula can be used independently as the base for a side salad, or it can be mixed with other greens (like lettuce or kale) to spice up a full salad. The stems of mature arugula can become chewy, so it is good to trim them before tossing it in the salad mix.
- Sandwiches – Arugula makes a great addition to many sandwiches. It adds subtle flavor and color to chicken or egg salad sandwiches and is a go-to addition when we are making burgers in the summer. A little less crunch, but a whole lot more flavor than lettuce!
- Diced – Arugula can easily be diced into small pieces and added to pasta salads or salsa. Some people find cilantro and red pepper flakes to have an offensive flavor, and arugula works well as an alternative, bringing a kick with more subtle flavor.
Let us know how you like to use arugula, and if there are any other spring greens you’re enjoying this time of year.
