Roka Salata ala Cyma

I'm definitely not the only one crazy over the Roka Salata in Cyma. I'm not a salad lover but with this one, I'm fine having it as my main dish. The explosion of various flavors all in one salad is amazing - the sweetness of the candied walnuts, the sourness of the Greek vinaigrette, the salty taste of the cheese, and the peppery-mustard flavor of arugula.

After feasting over the holidays, I ought to go on a diet and eat more green. Not only the weighing scale is mocking me, the measuring tape too! So I decided to hit the grocery on New Year's Day and yes, I found fresh roka or otherwise known as aragula. I got a bottle of balsamic vinaigrette off the shelf too, it's good enough but I proceeded to do my own version:

Greek Vinaigrette:

serves 1 -2

2 tsp red wine vinegar (or balsamic vinegar)
garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoon fresh chopped basil (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon fresh chopped oregano (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
1 tsp lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1/8 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp honey

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in oil until blended or better yet, mix in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper. Cyma's version is quite creamy (consistency). Adding dijon mustard and honey should do the trick.

Alternatively, you might want to try Natural Directions' Balsamic Vinaigrette.  I've tried too many kinds, this comes closest to cyma's version although lighter.  Found them at Rustan's Supermarket, but they don't have it on the shelf for some time now.


Preparing the salad:

fresh roka (arugula)
lettuce (baguio/romaine/ice berg, etc)
sun-dried tomatoes or dates (or slice apples or pears)
candied walnuts**
parmesan cheese (and blue cheese)

Roka Salata with honeyed almonds, parmesan and blue cheese

Wash the veggies with cold running water, cut into bite size, soak it in cold water and keep refrigerated until ready to serve. When ready to serve, remove excess water using a salad spinner.

**To make candied walnuts, buy shelled walnuts. On low fire, heat honey for about 10-15 minutes, then dip in the shelled walnuts. Viola, you have your own version of candied walnuts. Walnuts can be substituted with honeyed pili nuts.  But I normally make a short cut, by simply coating the walnuts with honey (you will only need a little honey to coat it).

Simply toss the veggies, sun-dried tomatoes, candied walnuts with the vinaigrette, top with paper thin parmesan cheese. You may add sliced apples or pears for variety.

Buying tips on aragula:

Look for dark greens leaves of a uniform color. Avoid yellowing leaves, damages leaves, wilted leaves, or excessively moist-looking leaves. A bit of dirt is fine - it is likely the result of recent rain or watering.

Smaller arugula leaves tend to be milder, while larger leaves tend to have a more aggressive, peppery kick. Similarly, wild arugula - sometimes available from foragers in the late spring and again in the fall in temperate regions - is much more peppery than most cultivated leaves.