In Season - Winchester Watercress

It’s only a couple of weeks until the Alresford Watercress Festival which takes place just a few miles down the A3 from me. During a day of community celebration, the elected Watercress King and Queen travel down the main street atop a horse and cart and distribute the first of the season's harvest to festival goers.

Iron rich, vitamin fuelled, nose twistingly peppery and utterly delicious, watercress is often overlooked as an ingredient despite its similarity to rocket. For the best of the crop look for fat clusters of wet, deep green leaves and eat as soon after picking as possible (it is notoriously perishable)

Here are some delicious watercress menu ideas for your next event...
- Starter: Gingered watercress soup with toasted sesame seeds
- Main: Duo plate of watercress blinis with smoked trout and cucumber vermicelli
- Salad: Organic watercress with roasted sweet potato and toasted walnuts
- Canapé: Seared fillet of beef in Yorkshire puddings with watercress hollandaise
- Fish: Roast monkfish on crushed potatoes topped with watercress
- Afternoon tea: Finger sandwiches of wafer honey baked ham, cream cheese and watercress