When I think of watercress, it conjures up images of elegant tea parties at remote British country estates and of the meandering, sun dappled streams where it grows neatly and greenly just waiting to be plucked and eaten.

I hesitate to think where watercress comes from in New York City. Wherever it is, there sure is a lot of it, because it turns out that not only is it plentiful, it’s pretty darn cheap. Leave it to the Brits to make a weed sandwich the height of sophistication.

Watercress Sandwich

Ingredients

• Watercress
• Sandwich bread (something with a little squish or give)
• Butter
• Salt (I like sea salt)

Directions

1. Spread a generous serving of butter on one side of a piece of bread.
2. Sprinkle this with salt to your taste.
3. Rip up some of the watercress by hand. It’s ok to include some of the stems, though I take out some of the stalk-ier pieces.
4. Plop the other slice of bread on top and squish down a bit.

If you want some protein, slice up a hard-boiled egg for a cress and egg sandwich.

For the true traditionalist, you will use white bread. If you want to be really posh, cut off the crusts.  I don’t like white bread, so I use some kind of multigrain and I leave the crusts on, too. I’m only going to go so far for high tea.