Confession: I like arugula. I like it even more when I can buy it organic. What's worse, I enjoy drinking white wine--French! white wine--with my arugula, typically the Sauvignon Blanc-based wines from Bordeaux and the Loire.
I know. Put me up against the wall.
Arugula's gotten a bad wrap recently. For a while, it was a political label intended to suggest dainty elitism. But let's be fair. Americans don't dislike this vegetable because it's wimpy; Americans dislike it because it's too damned assertive, too strong-flavored. In terms of intensity of flavor, arugula exists at the exact opposite end of the spectrum from iceberg lettuce.
Arugula is peppery. It has a manly bite. And like many of the political commentators who deride it, it's slightly bitter. By the way, it's also called rocket, which doesn't sound particularly sissified to me.
Arugula is a bold addition to salad greens, soups, and pastas. If you dare, try a little goat cheese in a salad of greens mixed with some arugula, and then proudly pair it up with Sauvignon Blanc. Or sample these tasty arugula-loving recipes:
Salads
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