Nothing says summer like a fresh, hot corn on the cob. Sitting around with friends at a cookout, rolling the cobs in butter, burning the tips of my fingers. Chomping down, sucking out each and every kernel until it’s filled up all of the gaps in my teeth. Sweet sweet corn, how I’ve missed thee.
Though tonight, there is no cookout, there is no sunshine, and there is no BBQ. No. Tonight, I find myself alone in the kitchen, eating cereal out of a box, staring at a package of baby arugula. I reluctantly open the finnicky plastic cover, pull out a leaf, and chew on it… within 5 seconds,  I’m reaching for a glass of water, and shoveling more Shreddies into my mouth to mask the peppery bitter taste.
Why did I buy arugula? 
I’ve never enjoyed “spring mix” salad, and now I know why. But I have a whole conatiner of it! And I hate for good food to go to waste. I see so many blogs with roquette salads, roquette garnishes on filet mignons, arugula topped sandwiches. If I want to be a real foodie, I think, I must find a way to eat this cute little leaf.
And then it dawns on me – warm it up! I think back to the time that I ate a handful of raw rapini and thought that I had been poisoned. “IT TASTES LIKE BURNING!” I screamed. “QUICK! LOOK UP IF IT’S EDIBLE!” Oh, Dr. Google, what would I do without you?
I eventually learned that the trick to quelling the bitterness of these veggies is to cook them. (Nevertheless, I dared not touch rapini again, for fear of re-living that awful afternoon.)
That’s it! I’ll cook the arugula! And I’ll do it in the microwave. Because, well, I’m alone, and nobody is watching. Go ahead, judge. Then try it for yourself, and apologize for judging.
Done and done.


Warm Roquette Salad with Fresh Corn & Goat Cheese
what you’ll need
•    1 ½ cups baby arugula (also known as roquette or rocket)
•    ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
•    1 tbsp goat cheese, crumbled
•    1 cob fresh corn
how to do it
Cook corn in microwave, wrapped in a paper towel, on high for about 2 minutes.  Meanwhile, toss roquette and cherry tomatoes into a microwavable bowl. Microwave for 45 seconds on high, or until tomatoes start to wilt. Carefully cut kernels off corncob and toss into bowl. Add cheese, tossing until coated. Note: This salad needs no dressing, as the cheese does the trick, but if you’re an oil fanatic, you could drizzle a tiny bit of light olive oil on top. Eat and enjoy!