Rocket (Arugula)

Rocket (Eruca vesicaria), better known in North America as arugula, is a fast-growing salad green with a distinctive peppery, mustardy bite that intensifies as the plant matures and the weather warms. Its deeply lobed leaves resemble a loose-leaf lettuce but the flavor is anything but mild.

Growing Rocket

Rocket is quick and easy from direct-sown seed, ready to harvest in as little as three to four weeks, but it bolts and turns sharply, unpleasantly bitter in hot weather. Succession sowing every couple of weeks in cool spring and fall conditions keeps a steady supply of mild, tender leaves coming.

Culinary Uses

Young arugula leaves add a peppery kick to salads, and slightly older leaves hold up well wilted briefly into pasta or piled onto a pizza fresh from the oven. It pairs especially well with rich, fatty ingredients like parmesan, olive oil, and cured meats, which balance its sharpness.