And if you must keep it for a few days, store the watercress in the fridge much the same way you'd store fresh herbs—wrapped in a damp paper towel inside a plastic bag, or placed in a glass of water like a bouquet of flowers and tented with a plastic bag. Zap watercress in the food processor with a little oil and some parsley for a vibrant herb sauce, or add some nuts and cheese and call it pesto. You can serve it on its own with a light dressing, or toss it with other greens and veggies. Young leaves contain less mustard oil and so have a milder flavour. Farmed watercress is fed by pure water from underground aquifers that is constantly tested to ensure purity. It's a gorgeous way to start a spring dinner party. Watercress and garlic dip with king prawns. But in reality, it's spring's liveliest green, here to supercharge everything it touches. That’s why the French call their watercress soup potage de santé or ‘healthy soup’. The spiciness of watercress is nicely tempered when puréed with potatoes and enriched with crème fraîche and butter in a classic French soup. A simple watercress dip makes a fantastic accompaniment to raw vegetables, bread, or any type of antipasti or mezze. Fold into a dip or sauce When it comes to dips and dressing, use watercress the same way you would your favorite fresh herb. Or use it to make a green goddess dip that's greener and more flavorful than all the rest. In fact, watercress was a key ingredient in the first ever sandwich! The perfect egg and watercress sandwiches. It even goes well with melons, nuts, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, leeks and corn. To help you incorporate this Super Salad into your diet, we have selected our recommended top ten ways to eat watercress along with some delicious recipe ideas for inspiration. I’m all for using seasonal British foods. Since 1995, Epicurious has been the ultimate food resource for the home cook, with daily kitchen tips, fun cooking videos, and, oh yeah, over 33,000 recipes. [1] X Trustworthy Source EatRight.org Organization associated with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics providing advice about food, health, and fitness Go to source However, these nutrients quickly begin to break down once the watercress has … Watercress gazpacho with manchego croutes. Studies have shown that a chemical compound found in watercress interferes with a critical protein in cancer development. For a fun twist, make those sandwiches with Fontina and prosciutto and griddle like grilled cheese. Watercress was so popular in the past that every spring it was sold tied it into bunches in Covent Garden by London street sellers. 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. Many dishes can be enhanced by the addition of a handful of chopped watercress, adding flavour and colour as well as the added bonus of its superb health benefits. The distinctive pepperiness of watercress is perfectly offset by sweet fruit flavours so why not try adding it to your next smoothie? A simple cheese and watercress omelette is one of the most popular recipes in our online collection. Epicurious may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. If it looks a little wilted when you buy it, shock it in a bowl of ice water. We’ve selected our favourite smoothie recipes here for you to try, or get creative and come up with your own! You would not collect untreated water from the river to drink and, as watercress has such a close relationship with the water in which it is grown, by eating wild watercress you risk ingesting contamination which could make you ill. Watercress is packed with nutrients, from Vitamin A to Vitamin K, which makes it an amazing summer superfood. When it comes to dips and dressing, use watercress the same way you would your favorite fresh herb. Providing a quick, delicious and nutritious meal, any omelette can be enhanced by the addition of a handful of fresh watercress. Watercress omelette with watercress and Stilton. It may seem obvious but watercress is the perfect base for any salad, adding crunch, a peppery flavour, and a vibrant dark green colour. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. 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. So nutrient-rich that you can eat it to fend off scurvy, watercress is a magic green that adds color, spice, and tang to all kinds of dishes. Carol Wilson celebrates the unique taste of this versatile seasonal vegetable. One of our favorite warm-weather produce arrivals -- we have so many!-- is watercress.This delicate, wild green is one that you have to look out for at the farmer's market. Remember that you can buy watercress from the bagged salad section of your local supermarket. Mayonnaise, olive oil, or even cottage cheese can be used as the dip’s base, with various recipes incorporating different ingredients that are simply blended together. In just one blink, entire stocks will be sold out. It improves eye health - Compounds lutein and zeaxanthin, found in watercress, help block blue light from reaching the retina. First, two pointers: Once it's harvested, watercress doesn't last very long, so eat it as soon as you can. Cultivated watercress is grown on washed gravel and nourished with pure fresh spring water. With its mild and refreshing watercress taste, it works especially well paired with fruits such as kiwi, apples or pineapple. Happy cooking! Watercress—the green of dainty tea sandwiches—has a reputation for being proper and stodgy. The hot peppery taste comes from the mustard oil in the plant and its strong flavour stimulates the taste buds and digestion. Almost every classic French bistro dish is garnished with a sprig of watercress. A staple of proper English teatime, watercress sandwiches always feel elegant and sophisticated. In Germany watercress is eaten with meats, sausages and smoked fish. Watercress sandwiches are another traditional British classic. 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. Cultivated watercress is grown on washed gravel and nourished with pure fresh spring water. Get the freshest watercress you can. The 4th Earl of Sandwich John Montagu is believed to have invented the snack, with the first ever creation containing cold roast beef, horseradish and watercress between two slices of bread. © 2020 Condé Nast. Subscription offer: save 44% and receive a brand-new cookbook. Watercress pesto makes a delicious alternative to the traditional basil, adding a more subtle peppery flavour that combines excellently a variety of dishes while retaining the health benefits that come from consuming raw watercress. A classic watercress sauce is an absolute must have in any cook’s repertoire. Mayonnaise, olive oil, or even cottage cheese can be used as the dip’s base, with various recipes incorporating different ingredients that are simply blended together. Watercress can also be added to other soup flavours such as butternut squash or leek and potato, or blended into gazpacho to add a fantastic peppery flavour. I'll get to that in a minute. Watercress is highly perishable, so store it in a perforated bag in the fridge and eat it within a couple of days. Either way, you'll want to make sure you remove the thickest stems if you're eating it raw.