Ruby Frills Micro Cress – Who, What, How?

Ruby Frills is todays focus!

In these weekly blogs, we will select our favourite product this week and discuss its variety of health benefits and uses. We will throw in some great recipes for you to try and some top tips and tricks.

Ruby Frills Micro Cress

Ruby Frills Micro Cress is known in the brassica family and offers a strong mustard flavour with a dark green and red appearance. It’s flavour is also reminiscent of an earthy grassy flavour. Due to the nature of the micro cress, that it is harvested fairly soon after germination, ruby frills is intensely flavoursome. It is in fact seen to be one of the spiciest in the mustard cress family. This makes it the perfect garnish to any savoury course, soup, or salad.

Did you know? This oriental cress is also known as Ruby Streaks or Scarlett Frill.

As for its health benefits, ruby frills contains vitamin C, potassium and magnesium. Vitamin C is crucial for a healthy diet and helps to protect body cells. It also helps win the maintenance of healthy skin and wound healing. This littles cress’ health benefits don’t stop there. As it contains potassium, ruby frills is great for supporting blood pressure and cardiovascular health. A lack of potassium in ones diet can result in fatigue and weakness – making this a great cress to slip on any plate! The mineral magnesium that is also present helps in the development and maintenance of normal bone structure. So why not add this micro to all of your savoury dishes!

But if you’re not quite sold and you’re stumped for ideas, fear not! We’ve found some brilliant recipes to use this little cress in…

Asparagus, crispy pheasant egg and rapeseed mayonnaise

Hayden Groves recipe really lets the ingredients do the talking. Deep frying poached pheasant eggs and serving simply with perfectly cooked asparagus and micro cress, this dish will be sure to let the flavours of the cress come through. If you’re wanting something light, easy to follow, yet flavoursome, this is a fantastic dish. In 7 simple steps, you can have a perfectly presented starter.

Try his recipe in full here.

Steamed Plaice with Ginger and Soy

A hassle free and healthy recipe, we love Andrew MacKenzie’s fish dish. In only 4 easy steps, Andrew rustles up a healthy lunch packed full of flavour, and topped with mountains of micro cress (part of the reason we love it!). MacKenzie uses mostly Thai Basil cress, which has an aromatic, strong and spicy flavour. Although as its equally as rich in flavour as this weeks favourite, ruby frills, we think you can easily change out Thai Basil for ruby frills.

Try Andrew’s recipe in full here, over on Great British Chefs.

Super Green Soup garnished with Ruby Frills

To really let the micro cress do the talking, we suggesting using it to garnish a fresh soup. Green soups are just as popular as ever and are fantastic for those wanting to incorporate a few more veggies into their diet. Andie Lowe-Smith has a great recipe on The Nurtured Way that we fully recommend you try, and mix up the garnishes this time to add some ruby frills! – But maybe keep the beautiful cucumber flower too!

Top tips and tricks –

• Make a spicy salad of Ruby Frills, Red Lion Mustard and Rocket Cress
• Enjoy ruby frills with cheese for a flavourful morsel
• If growing at home, ruby frills can be grown to a more mature size

References: Web MD | Speciality Produce | Medical News Today | NHS |