Come May, look out for sparkling emerald-green seas of watercress growing in farms mainly around Hampshire and Dorset.

The start of the UK watercress season is not just marked by an annual festival in the pretty town of Alresford (Sunday 18 May), it’s welcomed by lovers of the green stuff all around the country.Why? What’s the appeal? Well, it’s versatile, it’s delicious, adding a tasty peppery kick to any recipe, and it’s unbelievably good for you! Watercress is a nutritional powerhouse, packed full of over 50 vital vitamins and minerals; gram for gram it contains more calcium than milk, more vitamin C than an orange, more folate than a banana and more vitamin E than broccoli. It’s also a good source of plant iron which, because of the high levels of vitamins A and C it contains, is converted into a form of iron that the body can easily absorb. It does this more readily than other veg that don’t possess such good levels of either vitamin, making watercress a ‘must’ for all vegans and vegetarians.

In addition, watercress has been proven to be naturally high in a range of vital antioxidants, called Glucosinolates and Flavonoids. These protect against cell damage (the precursor to chronic disease and ageing) and are associated with the prevention of diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. One of these bio actives, Phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), gives watercress its distinctive peppery taste and is being shown through current scientific research to be associated with improved outcomes in several types of cancers.

There’s so much more to this historic salad leaf than meets the eye. It was a powerhouse of the British economy back in the Victorian era, necessitating railway lines (eg the Watercress Line in Hampshire) to be built so enough watercress could be transported from the country to cities like London, to cope with demand. Its popularity may have waned compared to its heyday, but watercress is experiencing a renaissance including recognition of its method of production. Unusually for a vegetable, Watercress growers received TSG (Traditional Speciality Guaranteed) certification, so that only watercress grown on gravel beds in flowing spring water can be called watercress – beware of land grown imitations!

To find out more about the history and health benefits of watercress, join the crowds at the Alresford Watercress Festival on Sunday 18 May, or give these light mouth-watering recipes a go. Perfect for Spring, they show how watercress works brilliantly with all kinds of fish:

Crab and Watercress Cakes (by local Dorset baker and blogger, Lizzie Crow)

The joy of simple crab cakes is that they can be made at lightning speed then set in the fridge to firm up ready for cooking as needed.

Makes 6

Preparation time: 30 minutes (plus one hour resting in the fridge)

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

250g brown crab meat
200g boiled potatoes, peeled and roughly mashed
100g watercress, chopped finely
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
Salt and pepper

For the crumb coating

1 egg
200g breadcrumbs

Method

Put all the ingredients for the crab cakes in a small bowl and mix well, adding salt and pepper to taste.
To prepare the crumb coating, beat the egg in a bowl. Put the breadcrumbs on a plate and season well with salt and pepper.
Take a generous tablespoon of the crab mixture and shape it into a small ball in your hand – do this gently as the mixture will be fairly soft at this stage. Dip it fully in the beaten egg and straight into the breadcrumbs, turning to ensure it is evenly coated. Repeat with the remaining crab mixture.
Put the crab cakes in the fridge to firm up for at least an hour.
When ready to cook, heat the oven to Gas 6/200C. Put the crab cakes on a parchment-lined baking tray and bake for around 15 minutes. These will be ready when they are lightly browned.
Serve with mayonnaise and salad, or new potatoes. To make a watercress mayonnaise, stir 1 tablespoon of chopped watercress into 3 tablespoons of ready-made mayonnaise.

Hot Honey Salmon & Watercress Salad

Serves 2 | Prep time: 15mins/Cook time: 20mins

Ingredients

80g Watercress
2 Salmon Fillets
1 Lemon, quartered
1 Avocado, sliced

For the Hot Honey:

50ml Honey
2 Garlic Cloves, halved
1-2 tsp chilli flakes

For the quick pickled red onions:

½ red onion, thinly sliced
2tbsp vinegar – white wine or apple cider
½ tsp salt
1tsp sugar

Method

For the hot honey, warm the honey gently in a small pan. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and allow to infuse. Once fragrant and spicy, remove from the heat.
For the red onions, in a bowl or jar with a lid, add the sliced onion. Pour over the vinegar before sprinkling in the salt and sugar. Give it a mix, or shake, to combine and let it sit while you prepare everything else.
Brush one side of the salmon with the hot honey. Lay it coated side down in a hot pan and cook for 5-6 minutes. Brush the topside with a little more of the honey, flip and repeat.
To assemble the salad, split the watercress between two plates. Add ½ the avocado to each plate. Top with the salmon fillets and a spoonful of the red onion. Drizzle everything with a little more of the hot honey.
Serve with the lemons, squeezing fresh lemon juice over everything.

Crayfish, Avocado and Watercress Salad with Cucumber and Lime Butter

Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main meal

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

250g of cooked crayfish
2 tsp finely chopped chives
1 cucumber
85g watercress
1 ripe avocado

For the lime butter:

50ml fresh lime juice
65g cold butter, diced

Method

Use a vegetable peeler to slice the cucumber lengthways into ribbons, discarding the centre.
Halve the avocado, remove the stone, peel and slice into thin strips.
Place the lime juice into a small saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium-low heat. Whisk in the butter one cube at a time, until completely melted and fully combined. Whisk in the chives and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Divide the watercress, cucumber and avocado among four plates. Top with the crayfish and drizzle with lime butter. Serve immediately.

Grilled Mackerel and Watercress Salad with Orange and Chilli

Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main meal

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

4 mackerel fillets
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground black pepper
2 oranges
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
½ tsp Dijon mustard
½ tbsp. good quality honey
85g watercress
½ a small red onion, finely sliced

Method:

Pre-heat the grill to medium-high.
Zest half an orange and mix well with the coriander, black pepper, and half the chopped chilli.
Lightly score the skin of the mackerel fillets with a sharp knife, being careful not to cut into the flesh. Press the spice mixture into the skin.
Segment the oranges. Cut off the top and bottom, then cut away any peel and pith using a paring knife. Holding the peeled orange over a bowl, use the paring knife to cut each segment away from the centre. Put the segments to one side and squeeze the remaining orange to release any juice.
Measure 2 tbsp of the orange juice into a small bowl, then mix the with mustard, honey and remaining chopped chilli.
Place the mackerel fillet skin side up on a grill tray. Grill for 4-5 minutes or until cooked through with crisp skin.
While the fish is cooking, divide the watercress between four plates. Scatter with the orange segments and sliced red onion. Drizzle with the orange dressing and top with the grilled mackerel. Serve immediately.

Sea Bass Fattoush with Watercress, Tomato, Radish, Cucumber, Pitta Chips & Creamy Yoghurt Dressing

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 Sea bass fillets
1 Pitta bread
85g watercress
1 large tomato, chopped
A few radishes, finely sliced
¼ cucumber, finely sliced
Parsley leaves, chopped
Olive oil

For the dressing:

3tbsp natural yoghurt
1tbsp olive oil
A few mint leaves, roughly chopped
1tsp lemon juice
(optional) Garlic clove, minced

Method

Start by making the dressing: simply combine all ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
To make pitta chips, roughly chop a pitta bread in to chunks. Heat some oil in a pan, enough to cover the base. Once hot, shallow fry the pitta chunks for a couple of minutes each side until golden brown. Tip them on to some kitchen paper to soak up any remaining oil and set aside to cool.
Pan-sear the sea bass skin-side down for a few minutes, until it gets some colour. Flip it and cook for a further couple of minutes until cooked through.
Assemble the watercress, tomato, radish and cucumber on a plate. Add your pitta chips and sprinkle with some parsley. Place the sea bass fillet on top and drizzle everything with the creamy yoghurt dressing.

Thai Salmon and Quinoa Salad with Watercress, Citrus, Spring Onion and Sesame Seeds & Peanuts

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 Thai salmon fillet – store bought
125g quinoa
85g watercress, roughly chopped
1 Yuzu or Lemon, cut into wedges
1 spring onion, chopped
Sesame seeds
Toasted peanuts

Method

Cook the salmon and quinoa as per the instructions on the packet.
Once the quinoa is cooked, toss it together with the watercress and spring onion.
Serve in a bowl with the salad mixture on the bottom, salmon fillet on top and sprinkle with sesame seeds and toasted peanuts. Serve with citrus wedges.

There’s no better time to enjoy watercress than when it’s fresh from British farms, available from most major supermarkets from late April to early November. Make the most of this quintessential British crop and eat yourself healthy!

For more recipes visit www.watercress.co.uk and for more information on the health benefits of watercress, visit www.thewatercresscompany.com.

Don’t get SAD – Eat Yourself Back to Happiness with Watercress