Eat Cress and Gain Wit.

That’s a Greek Proverb. Wit and Curly? Calls to mind the Stooges…Forget about Mo, Larry and Shemp.

Curly is where it’s at.

Curly cress, that is. Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk. This Curly is beating the pants off other greens getting lonely in my fridge. Take that, mesclun!

(C’mon who else can bring the Greeks, the Stooges and local produce together in one post? OK maybe the Gurgling Cod, but who else? I want you to know, I wrote that before I checked the site’s current post!)

Locally Grown Gains Stamp of Approval from Curious Sources and Me

It’s good news that locally grown is being valued by more and more. Even Ted Turner (”media mogul turned restaurateur”) Todd English (local celebrity chef) have seen the light! Many of the recent “locally grown” converts come to their epiphanies because of the rising costs of fuel.

A new company, Locally Known, is trying capitalize on the trend growing organic greens in Maine. Sounds better than trucked across country.If we can support local farms, get better produce, with less impact on the environment – why wouldn’t we want to do that?

So, Maine is good. Better if you’re on the East Coast, than trucked cross country. But how about Sudbury, MA for local? Our “curly cress” came from Siena Farms this week, purchased at Copley Square (since Dewey Square is gone.)

Curly Cress Woo Woo Woo!

A totally new discovery for me, this curly cress is rocking our world. It’s also known as pepper cress or peppergrass. In the mustard family, it has that little bite to it. Think of using it as you would baby arugula.

Sandwiches (roast beef, horseradish-mayo, swiss cheese, sliver of red onion). Salads (farro, dried blueberries, goat cheese). Snacks (smoked salmon, goat cheese, cress, eggs) Yum-O as the Rache would say.

Siena Farms’ Curly Cress

It’s peppery, small leaves look a like cross between mizuna, watercress and curly parsley. Maybe. Anyway, it’s delicious and peppery and delicate all at the same time. A bit of oil, or cheese, or almost anything tames it beautifully and I wouldn’t cook it, maybe a quick blanch. That’s it.

Look at this gorgeous sandwich with cress on Becks and Posh. The soup she shares reminds me of my Vichyssoise with Mache.

Editing now and —what’s that? That’s a reminder of the danger of late nite/early morning blogging…about food. Hear that? My stomach. Growling. Guess what I’m going to go eat?

~ by jacqueline1230 on June 23, 2008.