Valley Bounty, October 26, 2013: Arugula

Arugula’s peppery bite—and healthy green—makes it a good addition to the richer flavors of fall. Try topping an arugula salad with pears or a creamy blue cheese. Pile chopped arugula on a pizza after the sizzling pie comes out of the oven (I like it with caramelized onions, dried tomatoes, and bacon or prosciutto). Arugula can also hold it’s own in a sharp cheddar grilled cheese sandwich, and if you’re already missing summer’s basil pesto, try substituting arugula.

Farmers’ markets are a good place to find arugula. Find our list of markets here, and our list of farmers who grow arugula here.

Recipes

Try wilted arugula, pear and blue cheese salad. Here’s a variation using apples and another creamy cheese, from a Massachusetts blogger using Red Fire Farm arugula.