Watercress is cultivated for its attractiveness as a garnish as well as the bite it gives to soups, pesto, trout, salads, sandwiches and vegetable juices. It is a semi-aquatic perennial herb found wild in streams passing through chalk soils. The cultivated form, now usually grown hydroponically, is preferred, as wild varieties are often a refuge for river flukes in areas where sheep graze.
The plant has compound green leaves, a hollow stem and insignificant white flowers. The plant is notable more bitter when flowering. You can grow watercress in pots in a partially shaded position. It prefers a well limed soil. Harvest watercress fresh and only use before flowering. Store it at room temperature with its roots in water.
The sharp peppery taste of watercress makes it a good salad green. It goes well with a citrus dressing. Use watercress in soups. sandwiches and sauces for fish.
information sourced from The Complete Book of Herbs
I am on leave until the 6th of January and will reply to blog comments then.
What I blogged:
- one year ago – Chocolate Marmalade Marble Cake
- three years ago – The Duck Pond Restaurant At Welmoed, Stellenbosch
I hope your leave time is a joy, Tandy–wishing you a lovely holiday time!
xo
thank you so much Kathryn 🙂
love the peppery and fresh flavor these greens add to numerous salads…amazing,thanks 🙂
my pleasure Kumar 🙂
I didn’t realise that it is more bitter when it is flowering!
Me either, that is why I have loved these posts so much 🙂
Enjoy your holiday time. Wishing you the best and brightest New Year.
And the same to you Karen 🙂
I rarely use watercress but should change that!
It is a great additional ingredient for salads Joanne 🙂
I love watercress! We can’t grow it, but we do find it occasionally at the markets, at specialty herb and veg growers. Merry Christmas Tandy! xx
Luckily we get it here quite easily as I really enjoy it 🙂
Have a very Merry Christmas and enjoy your holiday.
Love to you and your family xx
and the same to you Julie 🙂
I adore cress salads!
I really must grow the seeds I brought back from Italy 🙂
Hi Tandy, a friend of mine grew watercress successfully this year in his garden and I’m going to give it a go too. Apparently it can be grown “out” of water so I’m going to try some in the garden. The taste of homegrown was amazing.
Hope you have a wonderful holiday / break, and best wishes for 2014, Claire x
I am also going to try and grow it out of water. Have a super 2014 Claire xox
Thanks for sharing about it. Moreover, it makes the dish more presentable.
thanks for taking the time out to read the post Mellisa 🙂