could be from trader joe's, could be dole, or it could be plucked from the very soil itself — sometimes a leafy green goes bad before you can enjoy its lusty green virtues. rather than sigh and toss it as visions of powerfood-induced euphoria fade away, give it a home in your freezer.
in praise of freezing fresh arugula
as i was grasping for handfuls of arugula out of a loud plastic bag about a month ago, ready to make a salad with lots of personality, i noticed that its "best by" date had come and was nearly gone. unsurprised, i considered my options: eating all of the arugula at once, like a goat. in a grand power move, i could throw it into the compost (feeling in-command, yet nevertheless wasteful). i also considered putting it back in the fridge to "try" to eat "later" but i knew that this was either a) a death sentence for the arugula, which would become sludge in a week's time or less or b) a death sentence for me.
and so, a moment of panic and extreme clarity: i rolled the bag like potato chips, tightly and determinedly, and placed it in the freezer door. i felt like a god, all but muttering to myself this will be best forever.
i'm proud to say i did not lose the lettuce in the deep recesses of either my freezer or my mind. in fact, since its first freeze, i've had a pleasant number of very nice meals incorporating the icy bitter greens — teeny tiny water crystals and all. thanks to the frozen arugula, otherwise miserable looking late night dinners have appeared just a tad more colorful and green. given the option, i would definitely choose fresh arugula over frozen arugula, but all i'm saying is if you're faced with the same options i face upon clutching a pouch of shriveling salad, a freezer's love shall not be forgotten.
you'll need
one partially-eaten bag of arugula you almost forgot about
try it with
onions & garlic | sautée and caramelize onions with thinly sliced garlic, add frozen arugula and let steam. this provides an excellent base for roasted veggies, a topper for a fried egg on toast, or a tasty addition to any warm grain bowl.
warm scrambled egg | toss arugula in with black pepper, red pepper flakes, and top with flaky salt
pasta | tossed into warm pasta with a squeeze of lemon juice, a quick zest of lemon, a pat of butter, black pepper & salt
a sausage sandwich or for that matter, any sandwich at all | either purchased elsewhere or self-constructed
soundbites
freezer space: spotify
piece of power
"God, or the gods, are invisible, quite / understandable. But holiness is visible, / entirely."