Arugula is a green--great in salads, or cooked. I like to include it in pasta primavera, and in minestrone soup. Drying the leaves probably won't get you anything but some dry greenery. Try freezing a bit if you want it for soups, although I really don't know if that will work either.
Here in Texas it reseeds itself easily. I let two plants go to seed and haven't replanted for two years.

Call it what you like! I call it rocket. I regard it as a herb, because it has both culinary and medicinal uses.

Accordining to my information, it can be successfully dried. But really, I reckon it would be like drying lettuce. You can't beat the fresh stuff.

I've never dried it - just use fresh like lettuce.

Is there a time of yr best for growing it so you get lots of leaves before it flowers and goes to seed?

I have only 2 things I do with it, and would like more ideas: (1) I add to hot, steamy potatoes while I'm mashing them, so it just wilts, and (2) in salads, such as my favorite combination of cut fresh corn and beets (roasted or boiled and chilled, soaked in balsamic vinegar) add radishes, red onion slices, whatever else, or add arugula to any kind of green salad.

Anybody have some favorite ways to eat it, favorite pairings, what have you? I also love watercress but have not grown it - what do I need to know, any ideas?

Jeannie, it grows best in the cool months. Down here I grow it late fall through very early spring. We eat a lot of arugula salads. I'll add sliced mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, julienned carrots, Feta cheese, and dress with an extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

I just love it on a mashed-egg sandwich.

It makes a very nice pesto to serve as a sauce for pasta.

Rocket Pesto
2 cups rocket leaves
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup pinenuts, toasted

Blend the rocket, garlic and cheese together in a food processor until smooth. Slowly add olive oil and nuts. Blend until desired consistency. Serve spread on a pizza crust, topped with cheddar cheese, onions and fresh tomato slices. Or toss with cooked pasta.

Lamb Chops with Rocket and Parmesan
2 lamb chops
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 red onions, sliced
40g rocket
60g parmesan cheese, shaves
3 tablespoons parsley, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Cook the lamb chops to desired doneness. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a frypan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes until well-browned. Mix together the fried onions with the rocket, parmesan, parsley, balsamic vinegar and remaining olive oil. Place the lamb chops on a serving plate and top with the rocket and parmesan mix. Serves 2, with a green salad.

Indian Lamb with Rocket Raita
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/2 small brown onion, sliced thinly
1 clove garlic, crushed
2cm piece fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
200g lamb backstrap, chopped coarsely
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup plain yoghurt

Heat oil in a medium saucepan; sautonion, garlic and ginger until onion softens. Add spices and lamb; sauté until lamb is browned lightly. Add tomatoes and bay leaf; simmer, uncovered for about 10 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile make raita. Add yoghurt to lamb; stir until heated through. Serve lamb with raita and sprinkled with coriander leaves; if desired.

Raita:
1/4 cup plain yoghurt
10g rocket, chopped finely
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh coriander

Combine ingredients in a small bowl.

Cheese and Rocket Tart
Pastry:
250g plain flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon mustard powder
125g butter. cut into small pieces
90g parmesan cheese, grated
1 egg, beaten

Process the flour, salt, mustard and butter in a food processor until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the parmesan and the beaten egg and mix again just until the ingredients come together. Chill for 30 minutes wrapped in clingfilm. Roll the pastry thinly on a lightly floured work surface and use to line a 28cm deep loose-bottomed round flan tin. Chill if time allows.

Filling:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 spanish onions, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
250g gruyere cheese, grated
2 large handfuls rocket, stalks removed, leaves coarsely chopped
4 eggs
600ml single cream
salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a large non stick frypan and cook the onion for a few minutes. Cover and transfer to the oven at 180°C and leave for 15-20 minutes until soft. In the same frypan, cook the garlic for a few minutes to caramelise. Cool. Spoon the cooled onion into the flan case then add the grated cheese and rocket. Beat the eggs and add the cream and seasoning. Pour into the flan case. Bake at 180°C for about 20 minutes until the pastry is brown, then reduce heat to 160C and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes until the filling is just set and golden all over.