Crevette Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 I really like the traditional english "egg and cress sandwich" but have not find a single store in France which sells cress or cress seeds.I don't even know the name for "cress" - it's not "cresson" (watercress).Any help on where to find it in Paris? (maybe in "seed form if all else fails!)Thanks,-Rob- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opas Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 If it is not cresson what has my daughter just grown and eaten,? it was just like the stuff one buys in the UK with soil at the bottom of a plastic see through tub. Hers says Cresson on the packet and took less than 4 days to get a good growth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Animal Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 The other day I asked a similar question under Gay's Strawberry Salad recipe.By cress you mean this tiny stuff ? I have never seen it in France. Is that what you mean Mrs. Opas that your daughter grew and is called Cresson?Cresson in France to me is this (which is water cress in English isn't it?) Maybe both are called cresson in French... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 Spot on with your identification and vocab, Christine! And I believe they are both called 'cresson' in French, as you say, so that can be confusing. On the other hand, they have two words for 'bee' ....Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crevette Posted May 24, 2006 Author Share Posted May 24, 2006 Hi Opus,I think you have just solved the puzzle!I think "cresson" is baby watercress.In the UK you can buy it in the small tubs (freshly grown) from greengrocers - in France it seems that you can only buy the fully grown watercress from the greengrocers.Where did she get the seends from?Thanks,-Rob- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Animal Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 Well, what they don't have in cresson, they have in bees, but what is the other one Phil, I only know abeille...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 Cresshttp://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/product/gww4315/1Watercresshttp://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/product/992/1I think they ship to France if you can't find it locally Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 [quote user="Christine Animal"]Well, what they don't have in cresson, they have in bees, but what is the other one Phil, I only know abeille...? [/quote]The other one is 'bourdon' - a non-honey bee, like mason bees and bumblebees who tend to be solitary.Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Animal Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 Don't "avoir le bourdon" Phil, that means to be sad... [:P] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opas Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 [quote user="Crevette"] Hi Opus,I think you have just solved the puzzle!I think "cresson" is baby watercress.In the UK you can buy it in the small tubs (freshly grown) from greengrocers - in France it seems that you can only buy the fully grown watercress from the greengrocers.Where did she get the seends from?Thanks,-Rob-[/quote]Opus.......that is just how I pronounce it, though I am Opas[:D]Oh you will not be able to get those seeds anywhere now. They came in the April edition of the Didl mag[:-))] But they are available at Lidl for 29 cents! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missy Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 [quote user="Crevette"]I really like the traditional english "egg and cress sandwich" but have not find a single store in France which sells cress or cress seeds.I don't even know the name for "cress" - it's not "cresson" (watercress).Any help on where to find it in Paris? (maybe in "seed form if all else fails!)Thanks,-Rob-[/quote] When next in UK go to a place that sells indian spices and look out for 'mustard seeds' . Quite sure that you could find them in the Schwartz spice dispenser at your local supermarket.Go home and lay some cotton on a plate, water it gently (sort of just damp, not saturated) spread the seeds on it and put on a sunny window sill. Water every morning, not too much - just damp, and watch the growth. When sprouts are about 2 or so inches tall (about 2 or 3 days) snip off and use in eggsarny... My children (then aged 8 & 11) showed their culinary expertise to my parents visiting. I couldn't get a day off work and the kids took charge of the kitchen as they were going on a day country ramble with my old folks. The picnic consisted of lots of bags of crisps and horrible chocolate bars (so my Mother thought!), some apples, big bottle of water and a box full of eggsarnies which the kids made using these 'cress' sprouts. On their return my mother complimented on the picnic and how clever the children had been in making it. Their sarnies especially were lovely despite having been sceptical about their confection when she saw my daughter cutting that green 'stuff' and lodged it between the bread slices.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 So is the cress in egg and cress sandwiches really just baby watercress? I always thought they were two entirely different things! Well, you live and learn.Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Animal Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 And what is mustard and cress? Missy seems to be talking about planting mustard seed to get cress [blink]The cress mystery continues... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 Maybe MissYesBut is suggesting an alternative to cress? Mustard and cress are the first two things I ever grew, at infant school aged 6! I don't think we had paper towels in those days so we used cotton wool ...Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missy Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 >>>…So is the cress in egg and cress sandwiches really just baby watercress? I always thought they were two entirely different things! Well, you live and learn…<<< >>>…And what is mustard and cress? Missy seems to be talking about planting mustard seed to get cress The cress mystery continues...<<< >>>… Maybe MissYesBut is suggesting an alternative to cress? Mustard and cress are the first two things I ever grew, at infant school aged 6! I don't think we had paper towels in those days so we used cotton wool…<<< Watercress is indeed 'cresson' in French. It grows on gravel grounds where pure clean springwater is running, as on the bed of small streams in chalky soil…The foliage is very peppery and has a sort of a heart shape to it. It is the bit we eat and like, or the stalks and foliage when made into a soup. Watercress is considered very much as part of an English tea-time fare along with the cucumber sandwiches, sponge cakes of all sort, bread & jam and tea etc… And throughout history highly considered for many medicinal properties. Mustard is made from ground mustard seeds (obvious), these little black things I am on about. It grows in fields, when fully grown the plant is about 2 feet tall and has a yellow flower. The seeds when ground, gives out this pungent yellow powder that we mix with a little vinegar to make a paste or one buys the readymade variety. The 'cress' bit is the little shoot that we grew as kids from these little mustard seeds. The shape of the leaves from these little shoots ressemble the shape of the leaves of its bigger 'cousin' the watercress or 'cresson' in French. Hence it is called 'cress' but must not be confused with watercress. One is not an abbreviation of the other. They are two different things. And yes... the French don't know about 'cress' but they know about watercress or 'cresson' [:)][:$] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 I'm getting even more confused than usual now! I know what mustard is, what it tastes like and how it grows, I know what watercress is, what it tastes like and how it grows.What I don't get is, if cress in sandwiches is mustard stalks, why do T&M sell mustard and cress seeds as a pair of packets for children to grow separately? The scoundrels are cheating our wee'ns!Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missy Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 As an experiment to satisfy my curiosity, I would grow these to their FULL term and see which plant comes out... Tall plant with yellow flower = mustardGround covering plant with a white flower needing lots of water to grow in = watercress'Cress' I think is euphemism of one for the other possibly when (at some point in human history) watercress could not be obtained by certain people and they found out that they could make do with mustard shoots. Sort of poor man's version syndrome.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 Fair idea - but what areT&M selling as mustard and cress? Here's what they say about their mustard and cress packet duo:Description: One packet each of Curled Cress and Mustard.Curled CressAn all-the-year round, nutritious salad crop. Easy to grow outdoors in the summer and inside during the cold months of the year.MustardAdelicious salad and sandwich ingredient which takes up little space anda very small amount of your time. Children find it fascinating to watchit grow as in only a few days it produces healthy and nutritious food.Youcan grow Mustard and Cress by sowing in the same or separatecontainers. Sow the cress 3 days before the mustard so they will beready at the same time.[img]http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/pix/m/seeds/4/gww4315.jpg[/img]Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 Beat me to it Cassis, I think mustard is a different plant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pads Posted May 26, 2006 Share Posted May 26, 2006 mustard and cress are 2 types of cress one is a curley leaf type the other is a flat leaf, the flat leaf is the one used in egg sarnies, I will be going to the garden centre this wek if any one wants me to send them some? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crevette Posted May 31, 2006 Author Share Posted May 31, 2006 I didn't think the debate would go on for this long!I found that "Auchan" sells "cresson" seeds and so bought a couple fo packets.I put the seeds in a contianing with some kitchen towel and water and four days later I have something which resembles the cress image above - but is not exactly the same!I think the problem is (as "missyesbut "points out) that I should have used mustard seeds... BUT I have tasted the litle shoots and to my great pleasure the taste isn't too dissimilar - in fact the taste is a bit like "cress" but more peppery - which is great as I wanted to make a nice "peppered" egg and cress sandwich!THANKS FOR ALL THE ADVICE AND COMMENTS!-Rob- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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