My first growing experience of cress was when I was about 6 and my Grandad got some empty yoghurts pots, filled them with damp toilet paper and sprinkled some cress seeds onto them, he covered them with a bit of card and told me that when I came back to visit I would be able to eat them on my toast with egg and sure enough 2 weeks later we sat down to egg and cress on toast.

I grow cress all year round in the same way now on my windowsill with my two year old, who has yet to develop a love of egg and cress sandwiches (I'm sure it will not be too long before he does though). I find growing cress much easier on damp toilet roll or cotton wool, as opposed to soil as it less messy. I sometimes add it too salads for a peppery boost, but I have to say as adventurous a cook that I am I only tend to use it with egg and a tiny dollop of mayo.

Garden cress (Lepidium sativum) is a rather fast-growing, edible herb that is genetically related to watercress and mustard, sharing their peppery, tangy flavor and aroma. In some regions, garden cress is known as mustard and cress, garden pepper cress, pepper grass, pepperwort or poor person's pepper.
This annual plant can reach a height of 60 cm (24 inches), with many branches on the upper part. My plants never get too big as I cut and eat them as soon as possible. The white to pinkish flowers are only 2 mm (1/12 of an inch) across, clustered in branched racemes

Garden cress is added to soups, sandwiches and salads for its tangy flavor. It is also eaten as sprouts, and the fresh or dried seed pods can be used as a peppery seasoning (haloon). In England, cut cress shoots are commonly used in sandwiches with boiled eggs, mayonnaise and salt.

Cress is a great herb, as it grows so quickly and it is a fab introduction to growing things for children because of this. I would definitely recommend giving it a go as the seeds are cheap and the result worthwhile, plus it tastes great with egg, if I had not already mentioned!