Viewing entries tagged
watercress

Creamy Watercress Soup

This is a quick and easy dish with a St. Patrick's Day hue. Creamy watercress soup! IMG_3711

First, hack up the white bit of 2-3 leeks and one large potato.  It's also fine to use the green part of the leek, but it will result in a slightly darker colour.  Sautee them with a bit of olive oil until the potatoes are tender.  You don't want them to begin to brown since that will result in a darker soup.

Then, add to a blander jar: a couple hand-fulls (about a cup of leaves) of watercress, the cooked leek and potato and a hand-full of macadamia nuts.  I just used regular roasted macadamias.

Blend on medium speed and add water until the mixture is thin enough to puree.  Next, ultra puree the mixture!  It needs to be completely smooth (I used a Vitamix, for the perfect consistency).  When it's very smooth, taste and season it with salt, and if you like, a little squeeze of lemon.

Garnish with a few watercress leaves and a drizzle of macadamia nut oil.

Egg and Cress Sandwich

Trying to find vegetarian food then traveling isn't always the easiest.  When in London I found Egg and Cress sandwiches.  They're the perfect thing to grab on the run. IMG_7689

You can make your own - basically an egg salad with watercress.  Start with fresh and flavourful watercress.  It's fairly easy to grow.  This is from my garden.

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Boil up a few eggs.

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To get nice eggs like this, add eggs to cold water, bring to a boil and let sit covered for 10 minutes.  Then chill in ice water before peeling.

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Rather then tedious chopping, I simply smash them through a German potato grater.  Available from Amazon: Kuchenprofi Potato Grater/Shredder in 18/10 Stainless Steel

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Season and add mayo as you like.  Personally, I hate mayo so I use Ranch salad dressing.  It's got all the seasonings mixed in.  It may need a bit more salt, depending on your tastes.

Lastly, stir in the cress:

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I spread it on made-from-scratch flat ciabatta bread, but the Britts serve it on something lighter.

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Spring garden updates [2013]

The garden is coming to life! Blueberries in bloom: IMG_7322

Lettuce - survived the winter: IMG_7111

Shallots: IMG_7112

First rose bud: IMG_7311

Asparagus: IMG_7314

Potatoes: IMG_7320

Tomatoes - hiding under buckets for frost protection: IMG_7321

Pfingstrose (Peony): IMG_7325

Watercress: IMG_7331

Grapes: IMG_7334