Rocket Man

Some of my salads that I enjoy use a green, called Rocket, or in this continent Arugula.

Our last trip to London, they had tons of salads made with Rocket. Rocket?

I wonder why it's called Rocket, Maybe I'll look it up and let you know......................

Anyway it is not easy to find, so just grow your own. It's really easy, it grows as quick as weeds.

Seeds are easy to get, and please do not buy the seeds in a hardware store!

You will pay like you won't believe $2.89 for 2.5 grams, but if you go to a farm supply you can get 100 times that for $3.00

After all, could you imaging a farmer paying 2 bucks for 2 grams, I don't think so, and even then for 3 bucks it is probably cheaper if I was purchasing several pounds of seed. Here is a package that costs 3 bucks.........This package will last me a year or two, enough to share, enough to have them grow like weeds!


Anyway, I grow my Arugula in a box I made, especially for growing lettuces and leaf stuff for salads. The idea is to grow them in long thin boxes so you can pick at will as the leaves get to the size you want for your fresh salads. The boxes I built are also cheap, take 3, 6 or 8 ft long boards , like fence boards, the thickness can be from 3/4 of an inch .
Nail or screw the 3 boards to form a U, so you have two boards on the sides with one on the bottom.
The nail the ends on them, fill with dirt and that's it. I fill it with a dirt and sand mix, so it's is easy to germinate the seeds.
I am able to plant two rows, spaced about 3 inches apart lengthwise.

I would suggest planting about 1 to 2 feet every two weeks, this way you will always have emerging small plants ready to get picked!

If you can't find the seeds, have friends who live near a farm supply purchase them for your and send them to you. The hardware store packages contain about 100 seeds which is enough for one planting.

Great vinaigrette for Arugula salad:


Put the Dijon mustard, salt and pepper, and acid (lemon juice or vinegar) into a medium bowl. Pour in the oil while whisking the whole time until combined. Take about two tablespoons and put into a new bowl, toss in the Arugula and toss and coat, plate and eat!

Stuff you will need;

1/2 tea Kosher Salt
1/4 tea fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice or your favorite vinegar, like sherry or red wine vinegar
2/3 cup oil, like peanut oil or corn oil. Olive oil is to strong of a flavor, although you could use half olive oil and half peanut oil.