Cilantro

We grow the 2928 variety.

The sections below were copied with permission from Mi Ae Lipe’s Tastes from the Valley to Bluff: The Featherstone Farm Cookbook (2008).

Storage

Handle cilantro carefully, for its leaves wilt and bruise easily. Cilantro is often bunched, with the root ends conveniently close together. If the roots are still attached, you can place your cilantro bouquet in a small glass of water, cover it loosely with plastic, and store it in the refrigerator. If you change the cilantro every few days, your cilantro should last for up to 2 weeks.

Or you can wrap it loosely in a damp paper towel and store it in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator vegetable crisper. Avoid washing it until you are ready to use it, because excess moisture causes rapid spoilage.

Complementary Herbs, Seasonings, & Foods

Avocado, beef, borage, chicken, chiles, fish, garlic, ginger, ice cream, lamb, lentils, lime, mayonnaise, onion, peppers, pork, rice, salads, salsas, shellfish, shrimp, tomatoes, turkey, yogurt.

Serving Suggestions

Cook out the Box - Tried and True: Salsa

Cook out the Box - Focus: Cilantro

Farm Journal Entry: "A Celebration of Cilantro"

Recipes

Radish-Cilantro Salsa

Based on recipe from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything.

Dice fresh radishes and add some diced cucumber if you have it.  For every 2 cups of radishes, add 1/3 cup chopped red onion or scallion (green onion), 1 t. minced fresh garlic and 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves. Add zing with a few tablespoons of fresh lemon or lime juice or red wine vinegar and -of course- chopped fresh chile peppers or red pepper flakes to your taste

Credit: Cook out of the Box 2010 - Week 1 

Cilantro Sauce - 2 Versions

These sauces are easy to make if you have a food processor - just put all the ingredients together and press the button.  You may have to stop once or twice to push the sauce down the sides to help make the texture more uniform.

To prepare the cilantro, wash well by swishing in a pan of water.  Let the grit sink.  Lift out the herbs.  Pick over to remove any yellow or wilted leaves and tough stems.  Shake or spin or pat dry with a towel.

#1 - this simple sauce should be used soon or frozen

2 cups fresh cilantro,  packed.  (That means pressed down some to remove air spaces.)

1/4 t. salt

1  clove garlic, peeled

1 T vinegar (white wine or rice wine types are nice) or lime or lemon juice

1/3 cup olive oil

optional addition - fresh chili pepper- about 1 T. chopped

#2 - Long lasting cilantro mint chutney

This recipe is from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything.  He says it will last about 2 weeks in the refrigerator.  I just made some so we will see.  

1 ½ cups fresh cilantro and ½ cup fresh mint (both firmly packed)

1-2 hot fresh green chilies or red pepper flakes to taste

2 inches fresh ginger cut into chunks

½ red onion,  quartered

5 cloves peeled garlic

½ c white wine vinegar

½ t salt

Place ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Store in a covered glass jar in the refrigerator.

Credit: Cook out the Box - Focus: Cilantro

Green Rice

This recipe is from the Featherstone Farm cookbook.  It is called a "Mexican holiday rice" and was adapted from Aida Gabilando's Mexican Family Cooking (Ballantine Books 1992).

1 small white onion, peeled and quartered

2 poblano chiles, deveined, seeded and quartered

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1 cup fresh cilantro (I assume packed)

2 cups chicken stock

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup long grain white rice, uncooked

2 T. vegetable oil

Place first four ingredients in a blender with 1 cup of the stock.  Blend, strain and season with salt and pepper. (I don't think I would strain and lose all that good fiber and flavor.)

Rinse and drain the rice. Saute the rice in oil that has been heated in a heavy bottomed pan for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add the blended sauce and the remaining stock.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove pot from heat and let sit, covered, for 10 more minutes to finish cooking.

Credit: Cook out the Box - Focus: Cilantro

Last updated on March 16, 2012 by Featherstone Farm