Watercress: Nutrition and Recipes from The Book of Greens

This article explores the health benefits and culinary uses of watercress, a nutrient-rich green, alongside the cookbook “The Book of Greens” by Jenn Louis and Kathleen Squires. It highlights various greens, recipes, and cooking techniques while emphasizing the nutritional value and historical significance of watercress.

Despite the name, this blog isn’t about watercress but is like watercress-unique, peppery, bright, and nutritious. And as a physician blogger, I want to know more about the health benefits (and possible dangers) of watercress.

(I also find watercress intriguing because it is from the plant family Cress- also my family name. )

In my research about watercress, I found an intriguing book,

The Book of Greens-a Cook’s Compendium

“A cook’s compendium of 40 varieties, from Arugula to Watercress, with more than 175 recipes” 

Jenn Louis-co-author

Jenn Louis has competed on Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters,” was named one of Food & Wine’s “Best New Chefs,” and has earned two nominations for the James Beard Foundation Award of Best Chef: Northwest.

Her debut cookbook, Pasta By Hand published in 2015, was nominated for an IACP from the International Association of Culinary Professionals and this, her second book, debuted in April 2017 and won an IACP award. The book was also nominated for a James Beard Award.

She has owned and operated three restaurants and a catering business in Portland, Oregon. Jenn is actively involved with nonprofits including World Central Kitchen, Alex’s Lemonade and Share Our Strength.

Kathleen Squires-co-author

Kathleen Squires is a food and travel writer from New York City. She has coauthored The Coolhaus Ice Cream Book, The Quick Six Fix, and The Journey, which won an IACP award.

The Book of Greens

The Book of Greens is about 40 different varieties of greens; some you probably already know and use-

  • arugula
  • bok choy
  • Brussels sprouts
  • cabbage
  • kale
  • lettuces
  • spinach

Others are less known and used, at least to me-

  • agretti
  • chickweed
  • mache
  • mizuna
  • seaweed
  • succulents
  • wild and foraged greens
Greens are a superfood because they are so nutritious, are inexpensive to grow, and come in many varieties with a broad diversity of flavors and textures. Jenn Louis

green leafy vegetables
image from LIGHTSTOCK.COM, stock photo site, an affiliate link

What’s in The Book of Greens?

This book is a cookbook, not a textbook on greens, so it features recipes, some simple, some complicated, but all incorporating some variety of greens. She starts by covering some cooking basics as it applies to greens-

  • How to buy greens-fresh, in small quantities
  • How to prepare-clean and handle them gently
  • How to cook-which methods work best for each variety
  • Storage of greens
  • Tools to use in prep and cooking
  • Notes on common ingredients used in cooking greens-oils, spices, salts, stocks, vinegars
  • Seasons-when to buy

Watercress basics –Nasturtium officinale

an ultrapeppery, strong-stemmed green, one of the oldest documented greens, dating back to ancient Greece, Rome, and Persia page 271
  • most often used in salads and sandwiches, and pureed as a soup
  • used in sandwiches for British afternoon tea
  • prescribed by Hippocrates (an ancient Greece physician, considered the father of medicine)
  • used by Captain Cook’s crew to prevent scurvy

This last point was likely due to its Vitamin C content; a deficiency causes the disease scurvy. It also is rich in other vitamins- A, B, E, K, and the minerals calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and manganese. Some experts call it the most nutrient-rich vegetable.

Nasturtium officinale W.T. Aiton - watercress NAOF
Nasturtium officinale W.T. Aiton – watercress NAOF

How to use watercress

Watercress grows in the spring and fall in North America. She calls it a tender green which can be eaten raw or cooked. Best cooking methods are

  • lightly sauteed
  • wilted in soups
  • quickly steamed
  • quickly stir-fried over very high heat

Watercress recipes in this book

  • Chicken and pork belly paella with watercress
  • Slow-roasted pork tonnato with watercress and tomatoes
  • Watercress soup with creme fraiche and za’atar

Wild watercress-Nasturtium microphyllium

This watercress relative grows wild, rather than cultivated. It has a “more intense peppery and piquant flavor.” It grows in any watery terraine-streams, lakes, ponds. (Edible wild greens must be chosen carefully, so as not to confuse them with poisonous plants.)

Photos by Ed Anderson

In addition to the authors, the photographer, Ed Anderson, deserves special recognition. His photos of the greens and the finished recipes make this a “coffee table book”, even if you never try a single recipe.

Another post on this blog that features watercress

Exploring the HEART of Health

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Dr. Aletha

Answers about health from the world’s smartest woman-Marilyn Vos Savant

She has one of the highest IQs in the world. She is certifiably the world’s smartest woman, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. She is married to none other than Dr. Robert Jarvik, developer of the artificial heart.

updated August 21, 2023

Years ago, one of my Sunday traditions was reading Parade, a magazine included in the newspaper. One of my favorite parts was the “Ask Marilyn” column where Marilyn Vos Savant answered complex questions on a wide range of subjects- math, science, medicine, technology, economics, games, sports, and just about any topic you can imagine.

I wondered how she did it, imagining it must take hours and hours of research.

But then I learned her history.  She has one of the highest IQs in the world. She is the world’s smartest woman, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, having one of the highest IQs ever recorded.

Parade published an article about how she met her husband. She is married to none other than Dr. Robert Jarvik, developer of the artificial heart.

He called her after reading a magazine article about her, and they had a long-distance courtship lasting one year.

At their wedding, science fiction author Isaac Asimov walked her down the aisle; the best man was the 7th recipient of one of the Jarvik artificial hearts! How’s that for romantic. They have been happily married since 1987.      

Isaac Asimov: The Complete Stories, Vol. 1


Books by Marilyn Vos Savant 

Growing Up: A Classic American Childhood

The Power of Logical Thinking 

exploring the HEART of health by Marilyn  

After she and Dr. Jarvik married, she became Chief Financial Officer of Jarvik Heart, Inc. But she also addressed health issues in the questions she answered in her Parade column and online. Here is a sample of some of them. (I have paraphrased her answers. )

question

Why do some drug side effects wear off and some don’t?

answer

Our bodies respond to drugs in different ways, positive and negative. Sometimes the effects are positive, relieving symptoms or curing an illness. Negative effects range from bothersome to dangerous. Either way, effects may increase or decrease depending on our genetic ability to respond to that particular drug. So sometimes drug dosages need to be changed to continue being effective or the med stopped if side effects persist or worsen.

question

Can you catch a cold from your cat?

answer

Not likely. Viruses that affect dogs and cats are different from those that affect humans, plus humans are susceptible to many more. But mutations can occur and cause animal viruses to infect humans, such as the swine flu.

question

Why do men burn more calories than women?

answer

A person who weighs more will burn more calories. However, men typically have more muscle mass and women have more fat mass; muscle burns more calories than fat.

question

How much of our brain do we use; is it true we only use 10%?

answer

No, it is not true. We use nearly all of our brains. Different parts are more active at times, depending on what we are doing. Only a small fraction of our billion brain cells are active at a time.

(These and some other links in this post are to affiliate sites that may pay this blog a small commission. )

My love story

My husband and I shared a romantic dinner on vacation in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Read about our romance at the link below the photo

man and woman at dinner
Dr. Aletha and Raymond

Two Words That Changed My Life


 

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Medical stethoscope and heart on a textured background

Dr Aletha