Cress of the wave

AFTER decades of being pushed to the edge of the plate as nothing more than a garnish, watercress is suddenly enjoying a renaissance. Chefs are using the peppery little salad leaf in myriad ways.

Watercress is bursting with goodness - its health benefits have been known since ancient times. Greek general Xenophon insisted that his soldiers ate it as a tonic and Hippocrates, the father of medicine, chose the location of his first hospital because of its proximity to a stream - so he could use only the freshest watercress to treat his patients.

Gram for gram, watercress is a better source of vitamins C, B1, B6, K and E, iron, calcium magnesium, manganese and zinc than apples, tomatoes and cooked broccoli. It’s got more iron than spinach, more vitamin C than oranges and more calcium than whole milk.