The flavor of cress deteriorates after flowering. These cresses came into broad cultivation in the nineteenth century. Use cress in stir-fries. Apart from the issue of food miles, eating foods grown on our doorstep is much better for us, as they’re more in tune with nature and are tastier and fresher. My favourite way of enjoying watercress is in a sandwich made with good quality bread generously spread with butter and packed with plenty of crisp, fresh watercress. A typical way garden cress is used here in Germany is as topping on mixed salads. Wash cress under cool running water, trim away the roots with scissors, pat dry with paper towels, or place in a salad spinner before using. How to Store Harvest, Cure, and Store Winter Squash. The Latin genus name for watercress, nasturtium, comes from the root words. Drinking boiled water with cress seeds powder helps to treat leprosy patients. Cress has a flavor affinity with buttermilk, cucumber, egg, goat cheese, mushrooms, potatoes, rice, roasted meats, tofu, tomatoes, and yogurt. Overview Information Garden cress is a plant. Thicken cress soup with potatoes and cream. Watercress is in season from April to September and although it’s usually relegated to a measly garnish on the plate, I look upon it as a delicious and health-giving vegetable in its own right. It also treats vomiting. Watercress isn't just for salads. In some cases, cooks use entire immature seedlings for a unique flavor, look, and texture. Drinking boiled 20 grams of cress seeds improves bowel movement, expels gases and reduces the pain of colic. Container and Pot Sizes: How Much Soil Do I Need? Typically, it is used in relatively small amounts, because the peppery flavor can get overwhelming. I’m all for using seasonal British foods. Sauté cress in butter for 10 minutes, serve as a vegetable. Carol Wilson celebrates the unique taste of this versatile seasonal vegetable. That’s why the French call their watercress soup potage de santé or ‘healthy soup’. Shake the pan occasionally to prevent leaves from sticking to the bottom. If you order a large salad plate or potato salad in a German restaurant, very often the salad is garnished with some garden cress sprouts. Select cress with whole, deep green leaves that have a peppery aroma. Cook cress as you would spinach. My favourite way of enjoying watercress is in a sandwich made with good quality bread generously spread with butter and packed with plenty of crisp, fresh watercress. The hot peppery taste comes from the mustard oil in the plant and its strong flavour stimulates the taste buds and digestion. Hippocrates the ‘father of medicine’ opened what was probably the world’s first hospital near to wild watercress growing in a stream, so that he could use the watercress to treat his patients. Avoid leaves that are yellowing, slimy, or unpleasant smelling. Young leaves contain less mustard oil and so have a milder flavour. The parts that grow above the ground are used to make medicine. I use the hot peppery leaves to add a kick to salads; their pungent flavour also makes flavoursome soups, sauces and flavoured butters and goes particularly well with eggs. To keep leaves crisp, do not let them soak. In fact watercress is one of the most nutritious vegetables and is a rich source of vitamins and essential minerals. Q: My CSA box this week included a large bunch of cress, which I’ve never worked with before. Privacy Policy. I like to serve watercress with sea trout or salmon, where its refreshing flavour is the perfect complement to the rich tasting fish. Beer 52 exclusive offer: Get a free case of craft beer worth £24. Magazine subscription – save 44% and get a cookbook of your choice. Curiously the peppery taste of watercress has a cooling effect, a paradox that was noted by the celebrated 14th century French chef Taillevent, who was also the first person to include it on a menu. Use a mixture of mustard and cress seedlings for a “mustard and cress” green salad. Drain and press out the remaining liquid. Use raw garden cress or watercress to lend a peppery flavor to salads and sandwiches. Stand stems in a container of cold water and cover the tops with a plastic bag. Harvest To Table Cover the pan so that the cress steams in its own liquid. Garden cress and Upland cress are native to Europe where they have grown wild near slow-running waterways since ancient times. I already used some in a batch of egg salad after seeing several recipes for cress and egg salad sandwiches. Purée cress to make a chilled soup.