Ever heard of kudzu? We don’t have it in Chicago — but my arugula comes close.
What started as an innocent seedling bought last year from the Oak Park Farmers Market has taken over about 5 square feet of my garden patch.
“If you let it go to seed, it will sprout again next year,” the quirky plant guy told me. He wasn’t kidding. It was my first surprise harvest during the miserable month that was April 2013.
Now it’s stir-fried with other veggies; wilted into pasta dishes; ground into pesto; or simply tossed with lemon juice and olive oil for a basic side. There’s no way we will ever eat all of it. And it’s already flowering, which means it will make an appearance again in 2014.
Nicole M. Markle 