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Watercress?


CHILLIN

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I have an interesting recipe for a Mexican tossed green salad. The only ingredient missing is watercress, can you buy this here? What is its Spanish name? Our housekeeper has told that Ixtlahacan public market (sundays) sell bundles of local herbs and greenery, but I haven't checked it out. They also sell masa dough for tortillas, made from old corn varieties from the mountain milpas.

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They have probably trimmed the stems and put it in water in the fridge, where it belongs. For a brief time, there was an excellent market in Nayarit called Merkabastos. It was unfortunately placed smack in between Walmart and Mega, so it didn't last long. When it opened their watercress was limp. I had a friendly chat with the produce manager and told him about the need to trim the stems and keep it in water. He said he would try it. Since it obviously worked very well, it was always there, perfectly crisp, waiting for me. Alas, no more.....

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Our new place is mostly rock gardens and water features. I have a 13 watt, 17 volt max solar panel that I am not using. This could easily power a couple of 12 volt pumps during the daytime. I have already ordered one for the waterfall. I am going to order another for a water cress planter, fed on a separate loop to a garafon. Sort of like outdoor hydroponics. This way  I can assure everything will be fresh and clean (ie no frog pee or chemicals). I would like to grow Wasabi as well, but this is a notoriously difficult plant to grow.

I also want to grow purslane, 'verdolaga", again, another super healthy to eat weed. I would probably grow on the large farm next to us. This is foraged by goats, burros, horses, and occasionally cows.  They would certainly keep down more purslane than I would ever use, but I have read that purslane can be toxic to certain livestock, if they consume very large quantities. Maybe i will ask the Veternarian who runs the farm. Purslane grows well in dry areas, and the forest forage offers slim pickings mst of the year.

who knew i would be a weed farmer in my (semi) retirement!

Edit. Yes purslane can be toxic to cats, dogs and horses, it contains soluble calcium oxolate. Grow in a container safe from animals.

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At the Wednesday Tianguis the vegetable  vender towards the end of revolution on the left hand side right beside the people who sell blankets, usually have it.  If not, further down the street the last vegetable vender on the right hand side may have it.  It is very fresh and sometimes even includes tiny snails, so wash and soak and rinse several times.

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Yes you can find fresh watercress here at the tianguis in Ajijic..  In Chiapas and Oaxaca it is very common here not as much but vendors in the tianguis have it, We eat a lot of watercress in France and I love t so I looked for it and found it and it was fresh.

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Fantastically fresh at the Ajijic Wednesday tianguis, and available as well at the Monday tianguis in Chapala.  I love it in salads, as a purée of watercress soup, or stir-fried with garlic as a vegetable.  

 

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The vendor at the Tuesday farmer's market who supplies the delicious, clean and fresh sprouts is going to grow it and supply it weekly. Love those wasabi sprouts, look like alfalfa, but with distinctive wasabi taste. A surprise ingredient. Another surprise ingredient that I haven't seen here yet is finger limes, the fruit is available in many colors, but they look like large, round fish eggs, but burst like fresh lime.

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2 hours ago, CHILLIN said:

The vendor at the Tuesday farmer's market who supplies the delicious, clean and fresh sprouts is going to grow it and supply it weekly. Love those wasabi sprouts, look like alfalfa, but with distinctive wasabi taste. A surprise ingredient. Another surprise ingredient that I haven't seen here yet is finger limes, the fruit is available in many colors, but they look like large, round fish eggs, but burst like fresh lime.

Do you mean Green Guy, who sells the nicely packaged arugula, etc.?

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