Cress will cook in 4 to 6 minutes wilting down to about an eighth of its volume. Cultivated watercress is grown on washed gravel and nourished with pure fresh spring water. Cress Serving Suggestions Use raw garden cress or watercress to lend a peppery flavor to salads and sandwiches. I’m all for using seasonal British foods. Container and Pot Sizes: How Much Soil Do I Need? Privacy Policy. That's something you can easily replicate at home. Cover the pan so that the cress steams in its own liquid. Typically, it is used in relatively small amounts, because the peppery flavor can get overwhelming. It also treats vomiting. Use raw garden cress or watercress to lend a peppery flavor to salads and sandwiches. You can boil cress with other greens like mustards and corn salad. Avoid leaves that are yellowing, slimy, or unpleasant smelling. Cress will keep in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Purée cress to make a chilled soup. I like to serve watercress with sea trout or salmon, where its refreshing flavour is the perfect complement to the rich tasting fish. Especially in the Old World, cress is a very common inclusion in salads and sandwiches, since the unique and zesty flavor makes a … Drain or dry the leaves as much as possible. 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. Thicken cress soup with potatoes and cream. Garden cress and Upland cress are native to Europe where they have grown wild near slow-running waterways since ancient times. Some cress may be hydroponically grown and will come to market with their root-balls attached. Overview Information Garden cress is a plant. I already used some in a batch of egg salad after seeing several recipes for cress and egg salad sandwiches. The hot peppery taste comes from the mustard oil in the plant and its strong flavour stimulates the taste buds and digestion. Stand stems in a container of cold water and cover the tops with a plastic bag. That’s why the French call their watercress soup potage de santé or ‘healthy soup’. 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. Drain and press out the remaining liquid. In Germany watercress is eaten with meats, sausages and smoked fish. Young leaves contain less mustard oil and so have a milder flavour. 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. Drinking boiled cress seeds helps to dissolve phlegm in the chest and lungs and get rid of it. Tired leaves can be revived by rinsing in cool water. A typical way garden cress is used here in Germany is as topping on mixed salads. Subscription offer: save 44% and receive a brand-new cookbook. 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. In fact watercress is one of the most nutritious vegetables and is a rich source of vitamins and essential minerals. Your email address will not be published. The flavor of cress deteriorates after flowering. 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. Select cress with whole, deep green leaves that have a peppery aroma. Cultivated watercress is grown on washed gravel and nourished with pure fresh spring water. To keep leaves crisp, do not let them soak. Cook cress as you would spinach. Harvest To Table Do this just before serving. Use a mixture of mustard and cress seedlings for a “mustard and cress” green salad. Purée in a food processor or chop it by hand, add 4 to 6 tablespoons of melted butter, 2 tablespoons of heavy cream then blend well. Sauté cress in butter for 10 minutes, serve as a vegetable. Use cress in stir-fries. Watercress is native to South America and was brought from Peru to Europe in the late seventeenth century. The stems, flowers, and seeds of the plants are also edible, however. Add a sprinkling of salt and place the pan over low heat. Serve as a bed for roast beef or roast chicken so that it wilts and absorbs juices. In some cases, cooks use entire immature seedlings for a unique flavor, look, and texture. Cress contains vitamins A and C and potassium. Beer 52 exclusive offer: Get a free case of craft beer worth £24. 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. The parts that grow above the ground are used to make medicine. Cress has a flavor affinity with buttermilk, cucumber, egg, goat cheese, mushrooms, potatoes, rice, roasted meats, tofu, tomatoes, and yogurt. Shake the pan occasionally to prevent leaves from sticking to the bottom. Watercress was so popular in the past that every spring it was sold tied it into bunches in Covent Garden by London street sellers. Use cress in stir-fries. Use a mixture of mustard and cress... Cook cress as you would spinach. It’s not a good idea to eat watercress found growing in the wild though, as it’s likely to be polluted and may carry liver fluke. Magazine subscription – save 44% and get a cookbook of your choice. Use cress as spicy greens and garnishes. Drinking boiled 20 grams of cress seeds improves bowel movement, expels gases and reduces the pain of colic. How to Store Harvest, Cure, and Store Winter Squash. Watercress isn't just for 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. Blend cress with scallions, yogurt or buttermilk and serve with salmon. Carol Wilson celebrates the unique taste of this versatile seasonal vegetable. Cook-wilt cress in a saucepan or a skillet with just the water that clings to the leaves after washing. 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. Sauté cress in butter for 10 minutes, serve as a vegetable. Drinking boiled water with cress seeds powder helps to treat leprosy patients. These cresses came into broad cultivation in the nineteenth century.