B&W + Chef Ming Tsai Host Watercress Chef Ambassadors in New York City

B&W Quality Growers, in partnership with Chef Ming Tsai, hosted some of the country’s most acclaimed chefs for a dinner showcasing the versatility, taste, and nutrition of watercress. The chefs, who will serve as 2017 Watercress Ambassadors for B&W Quality Growers, enjoyed a five-course watercress-inspired dinner developed and presented by Chef Ming Tsai.  Held at the Chef’s Club in New York City, the event was designed not only to be enjoyed, but also to spark watercress recipe innovation that will be incorporated into each chef’s restaurant menu over the next 8 months.

In addition to a strong NYC contingent, the Watercress Chef Ambassadors traveled from near and far – Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Washington DC, Miami, and Los Angeles. They represent a wide range of cuisines, including Asian, French, Italian, American and Latin. There are 20 Watercress Chef Ambassadors in total, and each participant was chosen based on their prominence and culinary influence in the restaurant scene, both in their own city and nationwide.

Also in attendance were three influential food and lifestyle bloggers: Ericka Sanchez of Nibbles and Feasts, Diana Kuan of Appetite for China, and Susan Palmer of Girl in the Little Red Kitchen. The bloggers were invited to attend and capture the evening with Chef Ming Tsai, the Watercress Chef Ambassadors and B&W Quality Growers. Following the dinner, they’ll put their own watercress kitchen creativity to the test. Be sure to check out their blogs to learn more about their experience at the event and try out their recipes at home.

During the dinner, Chef Ming proudly prepared and served his own watercress creations, discussing each recipe for the guests. The menu featured a watercress cocktail, watercress scallion pancakes, creamless watercress soup, poached salmon with spicy roasted garlic watercress pesto, chicken with watercress and vermicelli salad, pork belly stir fry with watercress fried rice, and a butterscotch-miso pie. Chef Ming also shared his experience visiting the B&W Quality Growers farm and processing operations, where he learned more about the company’s commitment to sustainability and the attention to detail that has made them the leader in watercress production for almost 150 years.

With their creativity sparked at the dinner, each chef will now create and add their own watercress recipes to their menus. We’ll also share them here. Be sure to check back often for new B&W Watercress Chef Ambassador dishes!