If you’re a greens lover, but only stick with kale, lettuce and spinach,
then you may want to try another healthy green this summer.

The healthy green:
Arugula!

The peppery green is being used by a number of food writers, influencers
and bloggers who boast of it’s peppery taste and good in salads,
sandwiches and more.

And here are a few more tips if you plan on buying some this summer.
* When buying- Look for bright green, crisp leaves with zero signs
or wilting or yellow spots

* Storing-
Place paper towels inside the bag or container to soak up any moisture.
Store it (arugula) upside down in the refrigerator up to 1 week.

* Health benefits: The green is a natural source of calcium, and this
mineral is especially important to keeping your bones and teeth strong.

And lastly:
If the green arugula salad or a few leaves on a sandwich gets boring,
use the greens in a soup, to make a tasty pesto or a green and fruit salad
combo.

a) Leek, Potato and Arugula Soup-
To make:
Dice 1 leek* and 3 shallots, saute in a skillet with a Tbs. of oil, for 5 mins.
Add 2 potatoes, (diced) and 3 cups of veggie broth; simmer for 15 mins.
Stir in 4 cups of arugula and 1/2 cup of heavy cream, puree and chill.
* Leeks- Can accumulate a lot of fine sand, so make sure to really clean
it well. Not sure how to clean it? Go to YouTube.com and look for
videos on how to clean leeks.

b) Pesto-
If you don’t have any basil growing in a garden or on your windowsill,
just swap in the cheaper arugula to make this pesto sauce.
To make: Roast 1 tomatillo, 1 jalapeno, 1/2 onion and 4 garlic cloves
in the oven at 400 *F for 15 mins. After taking it out of the oven,
add it to a blender or food processor along with 2 cups of arugula,
2 Tbs. of white wine vinegar, 1/2 cup of oil (olive or avocado)
and 1 tsp. of lemon juice and 1 tsp. of lemon zest.
Cover and chill until ready to use.

c) Pear and Arugula Salad-
To make:
Core, halve and slice 1 or 2 pears. In a bowl, toss some arugula along with
the sliced pears. Place this combo on a platter and add a Tbs. or two of
hazelnuts and sliced cheese. Drizzle on your favorite dressing.
This salad goes great with grilled pork chops, salmon and/or steak and
baked potatoes with butter and chives.

Sources:
* U.K. Research Team
* Journal of Alternative Medicine
* First For Women Magazine- June 17th 2024 Edition

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