Carmela Soprano's Arugula and Mushroom Salad

Okay… Carmela’s Antipasto was a bit of a job.

Not to mention being not quite diet friendly.

But there are salads, and then there are salads.

And the recipe for Arugula and Mushroom Salad from Entertaining with the Sopranos is more diet friendly.

One slight problem…

Same as with Carmela’s Watercress and Orange Salad, I couldn’t find arugula.

I substituted iceberg.

I suppose romaine would work, too.

Like I said in 2010, it's funny how something that's just daily fare to one person is exotic to another person.

Or a pain in the neck to find.

                        Arugula and Mushroom Salad

Serves 6

Tear into bite-sized pieces

2 large bunches arugula, trimmed, rinsed and dried 

Place the leaves (about 6 Cups) in a large bowl.

Add

4 ounces white mushrooms, very thinly sliced

In a small jar combine

1/4 Cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Shake until well blended.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well.

Serve immediately.

Carmela Soprano's Arugula and Parmesan Salad / Arugula Information

This is another easy salad recipe from Jennifer's chapter

Rage, Guilt, Loneliness, and Food in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook.

This recipe reminds me of an old Fred Astaire song:

"You say tom-AY-toe, I say tom-AH-toe."

Arugula goes by a few different names:

salad rocket, roquette, rucola, rugula, colewort.

That's just in the supermarket.

Let's not get into the scientific names.

No, it's not in the witness protection program.

Arugula is a nice enough veggie.

It just isn't as famous as romaine lettuce.

Arugula recently got involved United States politics…

In 2008, when Barack Obama mentioned arugula during a speech to some Iowa farmers, he was criticized as a "cultural elitist". The Economist branded Obama's supporters as "wine drinkers" and Hillary Clinton's as "beer drinkers".

Obama's political opponents claimed that arugula was unknown in Iowa, but the fact check website Media Matters For America listed farms and markets in the state where it could be found.

Arugula looks like a longer-leaved and open lettuce and is eaten raw, in salads or as a garnish, as well as cooked. It is rich in vitamin C and potassium. The flowers (often used as an edible garnish), young seed pods, and mature seeds are all edible.

Arugula has a rich, peppery taste and an exceptionally pungent flavor.

So, you might want to taste first before adding the pepper.

And you can have wine or beer with your salad.

                        Arugula and Parmesan Salad

Serves 2

Cut off the stems of

1 bunch arugula, that has been washed and dried

Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces.

In a large bowl whisk together

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Add the prepared arugula and toss well.

Pile the salad onto 2 plates.

With a vegetable peeler, shave over the salads

a small piece of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Serve immediately.

Would I make Arugula and Parmesan Salad again?

Sure.

Just don't ask me what I drink with this salad.

One recipe down.  Fifty-eight more to go.

Carmela Soprano's Arugula and Mushroom Salad and Anna Sultana's Mimli Vegetables (Stuffed Vegetables, Maltese Style)

It's funny how something that's just daily fare to one person is exotic to another person.

Carmela includes quite a few salad recipes in Entertaining with The Sopranos.  I have a little problem with her use of arugula, escarole and watercress.  They're just not carried by my local Safeway and Sobey's.  But Carmela throws in some basic iceberg lettuce every once in a while, just to show she's still a Jersey girl underneath all that hair and those nails.  

Her Arugula and Mushroom Salad is easy to make.  Arugula torn into bite-sized pieces and white mushrooms very thinly sliced, served in a dressing of 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, with a dash of salt and pepper.  

Nice and easy and the salad keeps Tony and the kids regular.

Okay, I make do with iceberg.  We are talking salad for a retired couple, not for a formal state occasion.

Ma was not big on salads.  I don't know why and it's too late to ask.  

Ma usually served canned vegetables.  The smell and taste of tinned peas and vacuum-packed corn make me feel like I'm sitting at Ma's table.  

When it came to fresh green peppers, globe artichokes, eggplants and late in the season, home grown, baseball bat sized zucchini, Ma had a favorite recipe.  Mimli or stuffed.  Ma dipped into her never ending supply of bread crumbs.  She then mixed the crumbs with eggs and bits of other vegetables.  Then she'd stuff, sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top and bake.

As I explained when I wrote about Ma's Timpana, Maltese go beyond simple into downright retarded when it comes to starches.  If you're trying to lose weight - problem.  If you're stretching a dollar - perfect.      

The Arugula and Mushroom Salad is easy and I'll make it again, with regular lettuce.

But, I'll make the Mimli vegetables, too.  They make me feel like I'm sitting at Ma's table, too.      

Another recipe down.  Sixty-two more to go.