Bertie Wooster's Watercress Sandwiches

Watercress & Watercress Sandwiches.

I like watercress, but I have to admit that whenever I eat it it, I can't help but think of Bertie Wooster,  the affable and eccentric twit featured in a series of stories by author P.G. Wodehouse. 

As you may already know, Wooster is a caricature of the idle rich British aristocrat who spends his days getting into trouble, avoiding his overbearing aunt Agatha, and eating finger sandwiches  served to him at tea time by his loyal butler, Jeeves.

So what's the association between Bertie Wooster and watercress?  Well, it's those darned finger sandwiches which Wooster was always eating -- these are often made with watercress as a key ingredient.  Now I just can't think of tea sandwiches without thinking of Wooster and watercress.

Sadly this connection is an unfortunate one for me since it paints watercress with a patina of snobbish foppery that it frankly does not deserve. Watercress is a nutrient dense veggie which adds a peppery flavor to soups, salads and, of course, finger sandwiches. 

It's a semi-aquatic member of the Brassica family with dark green leaves and a fast growth habit.  It's not hard to grow and is one of the things you can harvest early in the year.

How To Grow Watercress

Watercress generally makes its home adjacent to streams, but you don't need to live near water to grow it.  I grew my watercress this year using Autopot hydroponic containers which work brilliantly for this water-loving veggie.  However, you can easily grow watercress  in traditional containers if you keep the soil wet enough.

According to eHow.com, one trick is to plant your watercress in a traditional pot but then place that pot into another container that is filled with water, thereby creating a miniature island in a pond. 

To plant watercress, directly sow your seeds at a depth of 1/4 inch in the early spring.  Place your container in an area where it is in partial shade.  Watercress germinates in 3-15 days, and you can begin to harvest in about 60 days.  It does best when the air temperature is 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit, so plant based on your local conditions.  

Benefits of Watercress

Watercress is a super food -- high in Vitamins A and C and iron.  In fact, it has more vitamin C than oranges and more calcium than milk.  As an herbal remedy, watercress is thought to cleanse the blood and also to prevent scurvy (makes sense given that it's high in vitamin C)

Watercress Sandwiches for Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea is an English tradition of a bygone era; it's a light meal enjoyed between 3:00-5:00 pm where, small crustless sandwiches made of smoked salmon, cucumber, watercress and other goodies are served along with scones and tea. 

If you want to have the full English tea experience, you can still sometimes find it offered in some hotels in the UK and Canada.  But if you'd like to just try it at home, it's easy to pull together and many of these sandwiches are a good showcase for you watercress.

If you would like to try making finger sandwiches, here are links to a few sandwich recipes that use watercress as a key ingredient:

• Cucumber, Watercress, Salmon Sandwich
• Watercress Sandwich with Chili Lime Butter
• Goat Cheese & Watercress Sandwich

Now all you need is a Jeeves to serve them.

 

Comments

[David]

I'd disagree that the finger sandwich is a dying art in the UK, it was very much part of my growing up and always part of high tea on a Saturday afternoon. Not sure if you've got the correct cress for the sandwiches its nearly always the other type of cress thats used which you can buy in most supermarkets in the UK as a small sprouted seed tray, see below.

http://www.hub-uk.com/vegetables/mustard-cress.htm

For the UK ultimate experience marmite and cress sandwiches are highly recommended.
Great blog by the way, congrats.

[H. Mark Delman]

Hi David:

I stand corrected. Based on the link you sent, watercress sandwiches are made with garden cress not water cress. That said, Ill need to taste the two to see whether it makes much difference as some greens taste remarkably similar. For example, theres a third form of cress called upland cress which I grow in my greenhouse in the winter here in Northern California. This type of cress tastes very similar to water cress and I dont think I could tell them apart in a blind tasting. Thanks for setting me right and for the kind words about the blog.

One more thing.... I didnt say finger sandwiches are a dying art, I said afternoon tea was a dying art. But Id like your opinion on that matter having botched the first part of this post
:)

Many thanks

-PlanterTomato