Watercress Salad

According to Wikipedia, watercress is one of the oldest known leaf vegetables consumed by human beings. It is a member of the Family Brassicaceae or cabbage family, botanically related to garden cress and mustard — all noteworthy for a peppery, tangy flavor. Watercress contains significant amounts of iron, calcium and folic acid, in addition to vitamins A and C. Many benefits from eating watercress are claimed, such as that it acts as a mild stimulant, a source of phytochemicals and antioxidants, a diuretic, an expectorant, and a digestive aid.

I did not know much of the above when I grabbed 3 bunches of watercress on my last trip to the supermarket. They just looked beautiful to me, and I thought that as a salad, they would provide a good break from our recent romaine routine. I had tried watercress in soup and as a sauce ingredient before, but not in a salad. After giving it a thorough triple wash, I saw that some leaves withered a little bit. Next time, I'll do the washing and preparation right before I serve the salad. I had some defrosted cooked flageolet beans in my refrigerator, and I decided to add them to the salad thinking that their earthy flavor will balance out the bitterness of the watercress. I also added some chopped tomatoes, red and green onion, and made a dressing with lemon juice, olive oil and garlic. This really made a refreshing salad, but Yurdaer--who is a true Eagean in his love of all kinds of greenery--said that he can eat watercress as is (like he eats arrugala), so that's how I will serve the rest of my watercress tonight.