Watercress at its Best Right Now

Watercress is at its best this time of year.  This slightly peppery leafy green happily grows in dappled sunlight in the stream that gently flows into my father's pond.  The only thing we have to be careful of is that the ducks don't get it all before we do!  

Besides eating it in salads, I love the combination of watercress and beef. It's a classic one and is seen in dum sum restaurants and stir fries. My father makes dumplings year round, filling them according to what's in season but my favorite variety is the beef and watercress. 

Watercress is fairly easy to grow and if you are situated near a stream, it grows perennially, nearly trouble-free.  Learn more about how to grow and use watercress in The Chinese Kitchen Garden, available now from your favorite bookseller!