Mexican Watercress Recipe

The Border Cookbook
By Cheryl and Bill Jamison
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Watercress South of the Border

If it is used at all in this country, watercress is most likely to serve as a garnish, meant to be looked at but not eaten. Called berro in Spanish, it is more highly prized south of the border, write Cheryl and Bill Jamison in The Border Cookbook (Harvard Common Press, Boston, 1995).

This recipe, one of more than 300 in the book, which the authors collected in their extensive travels through the border region, was inspired by a newspaper column by a Mexican nutritionist, the Jamisons report.

Watercress Salad With Tequila-Tangerine Dressing

Dressing

ź cup fresh tangerine or orange juice
ź cup vegetable oil
2 tbs tequila, preferably gold
2 tbs fresh lime juice
2 tsp honey
1 garlic clove
salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste

Salad

3 large bunches watercress, tough stems removed
2 tangerines or 1 small orange, sectioned, membranes removed, and sections halved
ž cup diced jicama
˝ cup thin-sliced mild red radishes
ź cup sliced green onions

1. To make the dressing, combine the ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. (The dressing can be made a day ahead, but shake well before using.)

2. In a serving bowl, toss the watercress with enough dressing to coat well. Toss with the remaining salad ingredients. Serve immediately with additional dressing on the side.