Watercress : Contains Iron, Calcium, Vitamins A, C and E

With deep green leaves, and crisp, paler stems, watercress is related to mustard and is one of the strongest-tasting salad leaves available. It has a pungent, slightly bitter, peppery flavour and is highly nutritious, containing significant amounts of iron, calcium, vitamins A, C and E. It's sold in either bunches or bags, and is good combined in a salad with milder leaves, or made into soup.

Availability:
Watercress is available all year round but is at its best from April until September.

Choose the best:
Go for crisp, dark green leaves, with no sign of yellowing or wilting.

Prepare it:
Wash and shake dry just before you're about to use it. Both the leaves and stems are edible - just trim off any tough roots.

Store it:
Watercress is highly perishable, so store it in a perforated bag in the fridge and eat it within a couple of days. Alternatively, treat it like a bunch of flowers and put in a glass of water in the fridge, covering the leaves with a plastic bag - it can last a little longer that way.

Cook it:
In a salad with rocket and orange segments; combine with potatoes in a soup; use in tarts and omelettes; use to make sandwiches or as a garnish for cooked foods such as game.

Alternatives:
Try rocket.

Above words and picture from here

Now, here are two recipe suggestions:

Roasted Cod with easy watercress sauce & roasted cherry tomatoes

For a no-fuss fish dish, see recipe here

Oriental glazed salmon with a watercress, cucumber and radish salad

This dish is suitable for a BBQ, or can be cooked indoors, see recipe here

Hope you may include some watercress in your dishes soon.

Happy Eating

All the best Jan