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It’s a Toss-Up

Arugula is the key to this fresh taste of summer

Crust Hand Crafted Pizza & Wine Bar specializes in artisan pizza at its restaurants in Rochester Hills and Bloomfield Township. Its kitchen prides itself on pairing these pies with salads that pack flavor and nutrients far exceeding their iceberg lettuce counterparts. Try this one at home for a refreshing accompaniment to a spring meal, or a feast in itself.

Summer Arugula Salad
Serves 4 as an entrée, 8 as a side dish

Ingredients

• 2 quarts arugula
• 1/2 cup lemon pepper dressing
• 8 oven-roasted black olives
• 4 ounces chunk Parmesan cheese
• 1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges

Directions:

Wash and dry arugula in advance and chill in refrigerator. Using tongs, mix arugula and lemon pepper dressing in a large salad bowl. Place dressed arugula in the center of a large, round plate. Place black olives evenly around plate. Using a vegetable peeler, shave 6 curls (1 inch by 3 inches) of Parmesan cheese and place in the center of the salad. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges on the side.

Lemon Pepper Dressing
Yields 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix using a wire whip, until all ingredients are incorporated into the dressing.

Use within 4 days.

VITAL Info
All about arugula

Good for you. Arugula may look like lettuce, but the aromatic salad green is actually in the same family as broccoli and cauliflower, and shares many of the same health benefits. Rich in phytonutrients, arugula may reduce the risk of several kinds of cancer. It also contains greater amounts of calcium, vitamin C and beta carotene than all other common salad greens.

Grow your own. Easy-togrow arugula needs only three hours of direct sunlight each day and thrives on windowsills or rich garden soil. The plant produces greens continuously from April to October. To harvest, pinch the outer leaves and leave the center ones. The plant will keep generating new leaves for months.

Keep it fresh. To store arugula, rinse leaves in cool water and dry on paper towels. Wrap the leaves tightly in a plastic bag. Use within two days.

– Nicole Adamson