i Lead Recipes

Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) is a fast-growing, aquatic or semi-aquatic, perennial plant that is a native of Europe. It is known to be one of the oldest green vegetables eaten by man. It is an invasive species in the Great Lakes region where it was first sighted in 1847. The plant is a member of the Family Brassicaceae or cabbage family, botanically related to garden cress, mustard and the nasturtium — all notable for their peppery taste. In many local markets, the demand for watercress exceeds supply. This is partly due to the fact that cress leaves are unsuitable for distribution in dried form and can only be stored fresh or a short period. The green leaves and stems are excellent in sandwiches especially alongside egg.

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The Belgian endive is an important European vegetable. It has a delicate, somewhat bitter flavour and is used cooked in a variety of dishes and raw in salads. The edible product is the blanched cluster of leaves often yellow tipped from the compact bud, which is usually called the head or chicon. It is high in fiber, iron and potassium. Curly endive, or frisée has narrow, green, curly outer leaves. Sometimes called chicory in the United States and is called chicorée frisée in France. Escarole, or broad-leaved endive has broad, pale green leaves and is less bitter than the other varieties.

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