WATERCRESS

Have you ever eaten watercress? I remember my Mom collecting it and adding it to our salads whenever we visited the farm.

This morning we took a hike through our bush looking for edible wild vegetables.

We found watercress growing in our small slow moving stream.

An ancient green said to have been a staple in Roman soldiers diets, watercress is actually a part of the cruciferous (also known as brassica) family of vegetables along with kale, broccoli, arugula and Brussels sprouts.

Hippocrates, the father of medicine, used watercress to treat his patients. Watercress was widely available until the 19th century and watercress sandwiches were a staple of the working class diet in England.

As more varieties of salad leaves were cultivated over the next 100 years, watercress became known as a poor man's food and was eventually shoved off our plates. Its newfound popularity is partly due to its high ANDI score (Aggregate Nutrient Density Index). The ANDI score measures vitamin, mineral and phytonutrient content in relation to caloric content.

To earn high rank, a food must provide a high amount of nutrients for a small amount of calories. Watercress received the highest rank possible. 

If you live near a slow moving stream why not investigate; you may have this top ranked green growing and no one knows it's there.

If you collect it in the wild be sure to wash it properly to remove any pathogens before adding watercress to your salad.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the fresh vegetables that are starting to appear at our local farmers' markets.