Barbarea vulgaris - Land cress

Upland cress, also known as American cress or Creasy greens, is a perennial plant that is particularly vigorous and hardy. Its attractive rosettes of dark green leaves have a tasty sharp, slightly pungent flavour. Sow from March to October. Harvest from May to November.

Cress is the common name given to a collection of different plants, most of which belong to the Brassicaceae family alongside rocket and mustard. It is grown for its pungent, slightly peppery leaves that can be used as salad greens or to season and garnish dishes. Cress is renowned for its many health benefits. It is a powerful antioxidant due to its high beta carotene content. It can be enjoyed nearly all year round, in creamy soups in winter or freshly picked for delicious spring or summer salads. Cress thrives in the shade in cool, fertile, moist to wet soil. The most popular types are watercress (Nasturtium officinale), garden cress or peppergrass (Lepidium sativum), winter cress (Barbarea vulgaris) and upland cress (B. verna).

Harvesting: upland cress is generally ready to harvest 3 weeks after sowing, when the plants are about 7cm tall. Cut or pick off the leaves, leaving the stem intact. Make sure to harvest regularly as cress tends to bolt easily; regular harvesting also promotes fresh growth.

Storage: delicate cress leaves wilt quickly. They will keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge with their stems submerged in a pot of water, like a bunch of flowers. Freezing the leaves isn't really worth the effort - why not freeze batches of tasty cress soup instead?

Good to know: gardeners often use green manure to cover and feed their soil in between crops. White mustard is one of the most popular plants used as green manure; however, as a cruciferous plant it should be avoided in crop rotation cycles that include cress. Blue-flowered Phacelia is a good alternative.

NB. Organic seeds (in French "AB" for "Agriculture Biologique") are produced from plants that aren't treated with phytosanitary products (insecticides, weed killers). The seeds do not undergo post-harvest treatment. They carry the AB label and are approved by Ecocert, an independent structure.