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Garden cress, flowering plant
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Young garden cress seedlings
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All 3 cress species (which are approximately interchangeable in
the kitchen) are popular in Europe and Northern America and used for bread spreads
(especially such based on cottage cheese) and salads; simple bread with butter
and fresh cress leaves tastes delicious. Less frequently, chopped cress leaves
are topped on warm dishes, like vegetable soups or scrambled eggs. Whenever
used, cress turns an everyday dish into an exquisite delicacy.
In Europe, cress leaves are not commonly combined with other fresh herbs; yet
they are
compatible with the fines herbes of French cuisine (see chives) and may be used together with each of them.
Leaves or even more flowers of nasturtium are commonly used to flavour herbal
vinegar (see dill); cress is also very good for
herb sauces (see borage).
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Young garden cress seedlings
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Wild water cress in the Nepalese Himalaya
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In West and Central Asia, there are local culinary herbs with cress-like
flavour; most cookbooks silently substitute cress in these recipes, which is
the more justified as garden cress actually stems from that region.
Cress is used from North Western Asia (Georgia, Azerbaijan) to Central Asia
(Iran); it even appears in Kazakhi cooking, as one of the few herbs supported
by the climate in Kazakhstan. I have not seen it anywhere further East, except
on the herb-rich markets of Manipur (see also chameleon plant)
and in Nepali home gardens.
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Wild water cress in the Nepalese Himalaya
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Flowering nasturtium
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The obvious disadvantage of all cresses is that the leaves cannot be dried and are
only rarely traded. Growing at home may be quite a challenge for water cress, as it needs a wet habitat;
but both garden cress and nasturtium grow well in every garden with minimal effort. Garden
cress is surprisingly unpretending and grows extremely quickly; about one week
after sowing, the young seedlings are ripe for harvest, although older plants are edible as well.
To have fresh garden cress at any time, use three pots and sow in three-day intervals.
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Flowering nasturtium
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Nasturtium, on the other hand, needs a little bit more care than garden cress, but then may grow
exuberantly for one season (in cold climate). Its yellow, orange or red flowers are very decorative and have additional use: The
flowers make an interesting decoration with a sligh rose-like scent
and a mild pungency; young fruits have a strong flavour almost comparable to horseradish.
Both buds and young fruits may be pickled in vinegar (either hot or cold) and develop an interesting taste
that makes them a good substitute for capers. Nevertheless, culinary use
of leaves, buds or fruits is quite uncommon.
A Mediterranean herb, rocket, displays a similar
pungency like cress, but has also a distinct, intense flavour.
Rocket can often be used as a spicier alternative to cress.
