Ballard Street by Jerry Van Amerongen for October 19, 2020

Gwen looks like she doesn’t know if she should embrace it, eat it, or throw it out with last weeks garbage.

It’s also bitter, just like Gwen.

Apparently, Gwen is more easily lured than we’ve been led to believe.

Special mention to P51Strega’s reply to my lateish ballad about Kevin yesterday.

Just about now Gwen is rethinking her choice of roommate. As if the Kombucha incident isn’t fresh in her mind.

Put it with the kale.

Arugula is OK in a mixed salad, for a bit of bite. But no kale, please.

Call it by its Italian name.

I love Rucola.

Let us not beet around the bush; I’ll wear a bibb, I’ll sit on an iceberg, I’ll butter my salad bowl, I’ll Romaine in search of ways to turn over a new green leaf, but not a shred of arguable arugula shall pass these lips!

She only embraces pizza.

Isn’t that some actress?

Honestly… if you’ve ever bought “salad mix” or “spring greens”, loose or in a bag, or eaten the “mixed” salad in a restaurant,

(except for the sort of restaurant that only serves iceberg lettuce)…

you’ve probably already tasted arugula.

 

It’s the small, skinny, lobed leaves with a bit of peppery bite, usually deep green, but varieties vary.

It used to be called “rocket” … and is still sometimes called “roquette”, the French term, in fancy restaurants….

Sometimes “rucola”, as Tigressy said… though the rucola sold here is sometimes slightly different… no idea why.

 

It’s shaped a lot like so-called “oak leaf lettuce” … which also comes in paler green and reddish varieties… but “oak leaf” is less peppery, and maybe a bit softer…. and is related to red lettuce.

Arugula is related to cabbage and mustard greens.

If you’ve ever had bitter, peppery, raw mustard greens…

never fear… arugula is way more mild.

You still probably don’t want a whole salad of it… but at least it won’t jump out and bite you…

and it isn’t lying in wait for you like kale.

 

This is arugula:

https://enchantmentcreekherbs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Greens-Arugula-OG105-DSC03137-2-1.jpg

But that picture seems bigger than life.

A couple of years ago, I bought some organic kale at the farmer’s market.

Dunno why… I don’t like kale… but I fell for the seller’s promise that organic kale tastes better.

Also, it was closing time, since I’d just finished working at the market too… and she sold me a huge bunch for $1.

 

Who can resist a ton of something you don’t like, when it’s such a bargain?

It’s like a Woody Allen joke.

 

I hadn’t looked closely when she stuffed it into a bag…

but when I went to wash it, I separated the leaves, and discovered that it was like lace…

more bug holes than greenery.

 

Sorry, but I fed it to the compost… and I haven’t bought fresh kale since.

Then a friend told me kale chips were delicious.

They’re deep fried and salted… so… really healthy, right?

She insisted that they’re still nutritious, and they come in potato-chip-type flavors that don’t taste like kale.

Nice when you have to promote something by saying it doesn’t taste like what it is, right?

 

So I bought a small, overpriced container of “onion and garlic”-flavored deep-fried organic garbage.

I tried. I really did.

I ate at least six chips before I gave them away.

 

No more kale.

Sorry. Just no.

Like kale is trending? YUK!

Remember when the worst thing that the opposition party could think of to say about the President was that he ate arugula?

It’s better than kale…

“I’ll remain with the Hoi Polloi, the Great Unwashed, the Little People, the Silent Majority, thank you…” ☺

Kale Kavalry to the rescue! Raw kale is, yeah, I know. Go look up proper ways to prepare it. I start out with removing the central stalk, roughly chop and saute/steam in a little oil and water under cover, with some chopped garlic. Add a small splash of Tamari. That’s your basic platform. Then add stuff like tofu, or pre-cooked slices of a nice mild sausage, like kielbasa, or go the spicy Italian route. So, like that. Be creative and think up things to throw in there. Serve as is or with a carb on the side. Sometimes these weird leafy greens get a bad rap ‘cause folks just don’t know what to do with it. Like others, I would not use kale leaf in a salad either.

Yet another victim of a pyramid scheme started by the Arugula Farmers group.

Arugula isn’t so much hoity-toity to eat as it is to say …

ArOOOOO-gula!

Pardon me Joyce, but may i have a different pacesetting?

Nothing could make me embrace arugula.

Absolutely Love both Kale AND Arugula – both raw, even… or kale lightly stirf rgb ied with garlic…. YUM

*stirfried