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Cilantro - spicy or soapy?

1/29/2017

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 Each year the International Herb Association selects an herb to receive special attention.  For 2017 they have chosen cilantro/coriander.  These are not two different plants but different parts of the same plant Coriandrum sativum.  The feathery foliage that resembles parsley is known as cilantro or sometimes Chinese parsley, while the tiny round seeds are called coriander.  Both are familiar to cooks especially in Hispanic, Asian and Indian dishes where the strong, pungent flavor is a favorite.

Some people claim that cilantro tastes soapy to them.  One friend who is an avid cook and gardener loathes the taste of cilantro and claims an allergy when eating out to avoid it in her food. There is some debate about whether this dislike of cilantro is genetic or a function of cultural exposure.  The great chef Julia Child was not a fan of cilantro - but neuroscientist Dr. Jay Gottfiend, once a cilantro hater, changed his mind and enjoys it.  So don't let that stop you from growing and using this tasty herb if you haven't explored it yet!

Cilantro is an annual that is fairly easy to grow.  Seeds can be sewn directly in the ground in mid to late spring well after the frost date has past.   We scatter seeds in prepared beds that are about 2' x 4'.  We often sow them every few weeks starting in May (depending on the weather of course).  Seeds will also be started in pots in the greenhouse as early as February and March.  We aim for ~5 seeds per pot and have had good luck with high germination rates.  The seeds are often a little slow to germinate so don’t get too anxious if little shoots don’t appear for even as long as 14 days. You could transfer the 3" - 4" seedlings into larger pots for patios or small spaces, or even plant out to your garden as well.

It will grow to 12 -18 inches with lacy leaves and small delicate white flowers.   It does not like really hot weather and is apt to bolt quickly in the heat of summer.  Harvesting regularly can help slow bolting some, but when hot weather hits, it can be challenging.  Don't forget it's the plant's imperative goal to make sure it produces seeds to carry on it's legacy!  Cilantro doesn’t require any special soil or sun conditions, except to slow bolting growing in shade will help.  We try to grow ours in the back part of the garden with nice morning sun, close to where a large Cascara tree grows, providing afternoon shade. 

For fresh cilantro, snip several clumps of stems near the ground.  These can be stored in a jar of water in the refrigerator covered loosely with a plastic bag for about a week.  You can extend the life of fresh cilantro in your fridge and keep it super fresh by changing the water every couple of days. When you need a few leaves, snip – wash - use.  Cilantro leaves dry well, too, so you’ll have some for later. Use any of a number of drying techniques - brown bag, dehydrator or microwave. Crush the dried leaves and store in a glass container in a cool, dry dark place.   It will also freeze well in ice cube trays covered with water, blending with oil of your choice to make a cilantro pesto (YUM!) which can be frozen, or rolled tightly into a "cigar" in a plastic freezer bag.  These can be good options for when you have a bumper crop and limited time (and maybe imagination - let's face it - when the garden is booming, it can be a bit overwhelming!).  Plus you'll have that fresh taste of summer waiting in your freezer for winter days begging for a little bit of green herbal sunshine!

If your cilantro plant bolted, worry not!  Let it continue on it's journey towards producing seeds - the spicy coriander seeds.  To save these delicious spicy seeds, when the foliage turns brown and the seeds are gray-brown, cut off the flower heads and dry them in a brown paper bag indoors (don't forget to label the bag!).  After a few weeks in a cool, dry place, shake out the seeds and store in a glass jar.

Cilantro and coriander have very different distinct flavors.  Coriander is one of the ingredients in curry powder and pickling spice.  It is found in a wide range of foods from baked apples to tasty sausages.  Cilantro has a spicy, peppery taste and has long been used in Mexican and Chinese foods.   Try them both and give your dishes a splash of spice.
Here are some recipes to try.  If you’d like a quick flavor burst of cilantro for any dish, try Garden Delights Mexican Blend.  We know some people who have enjoyed this blend on eggs, in meatloaf and even on pizza sauce (okay not sure we can totally get behind this one - bit if it makes your taste buds happy go for it!). 

Recipes

Spicy Sausage Soup

Prep and Cook Time: 60 min
2 lbs Italian sausage links, casings removed, and sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 ½ C beef broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1 (15.5 ounce) can white hominy
1 C sliced carrots
1 ¾ C great northern beans (or other white bean), cooked  
2 small zucchini, cubed
2 C chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp salt

In a large skillet over medium heat, combine  sausage and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently until sausage is evenly browned. Drain cooked sausage, if desired. In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, combine the beef broth, hominy, stewed tomatoes, carrots, beans, and zucchini. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and boil for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and add sausage and cilantro; simmer for 15 minutes, or until carrots and zucchini are tender. Season with salt and pepper
 
Orange Cilantro Rice
Prep and Cook Time:  35 min
2 tsp butter
½ C diced onion
1 C uncooked long grain white rice
2 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp ground black pepper
salt to taste
1 ½ C orange juice
½ C chicken broth
½ C chopped fresh cilantro
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in onion, and cook until tender. Mix in rice, and season with cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper and salt. Cook and stir until rice is golden brown. Pour in orange juice and broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20 minutes.  Remove cooked rice from heat, and gently mix in cilantro to serve.

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New Year...New Herbal Adventures

1/1/2017

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Hey, it’s a new year so how about trying some adventures in cooking using herbs?  Here are three herbs not typically used for culinary purposes but they will work well in your dishes and give a creative twist to the foods you serve.

Borage (Borago officinalis) – this is a fairly large plant considered a hardy annual started from seeds.  Plant seeds directly outside in late spring. It does re-seed easily and quite prolifically. It likes a sunny spot on the edge of the herb bed since it gets rather large, 3 -3.5 feet high.  Borage doesn’t require any special treatment and only needs moderate watering.  The colorful bright blue star shaped flowers add a splash of color to your herb beds and are great for bees and other pollinators.
Adding edible flowers to your dishes, not just for decoration, will make you look like a “gourmet cook”.  Borage flowers have a slight cucumber flavor.  Chopped finely, they can be added to a variety of spreads – chicken salad, cream cheese and along with Garden Delights Herb Spread. 
The flowers, when added to vinegar makes not only a tasty vinegar but a colorful one as well. Fill a pint jar with ½ C fresh borage flowers.  Cover with white vinegar and cover with a plastic lid. Let it sit in a sunny window for a week or in a dark cupboard for 3-4 weeks.  Be sure to taste the vinegar to see that you have a flavor that you like.  Strain the herbs and store in a glass container.  Use the bluish/pink vinegar in salad dressings.
Young tender leaves, as well as the flowers, are good in salads. They can be used pretty much just as you would spinach.  Try it in frittatas, pasta dishes and with basil in pestos. 
Larger leaves tend to have a prickly feel to them so you may want to stick to the smaller to medium leaves. Chop the leaves and use like okra as a thickener in stir fries and soups.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis) also known as pot marigold are often used as a purely decorative addition to gardens.  The cheerful bright orange and yellow flowers however, can be used herbally.  It is fairly easy to start from seeds and is considered a hardy annual. It will re-seed, so leave a few flowers to go to seed to have new plants in the spring. Calendula likes a sunny spot and blooms all summer until a frost comes, especially when the blooms are kept harvested.  The plants grow to 12-85 inches depending on the variety and will grow in almost any type of soil.
Flowers close up at night and open wide during the day.  These are the flowers you want to harvest and use for cooking.  It’s fairly well known that calendula is found in many herbal teas.  But the colorful flowers have a variety of culinary uses, too.  In the soup pot, add ½ C of the petals and it will give it a tangy/sweet taste and a golden glow.  They make a great addition to green salads.  Added to cream cheese or sour cream they are a tasty spread or sauce for veggies. Use in cornbread for a new twist; chop and mash 1 cup of flowers and added to lemon juice and cooked down makes an interesting syrup.
 
Lavender (Lavandula spp.) is familiar to gardeners and herbalists alike. But are you cooking with it?  One of our favorite recipes is a simple shortbread cookie to which we add ground lavender buds.
So which lavenders to use since there are so many varieties. Choose the sweet fragrant ones like English lavender and Hidcote.  It is a perennial in our area. Plants should be started from potted starts and set in a sunny spot with room to spread out. Lavender bushes can be 18” to as much as 36” tall and almost as big around. They are a super bee and pollinator attractor. The plants ­don’t require a lot of maintenance except to harvest the buds when they are ready typically sometime in July.  For more information on harvesting and drying lavender check out Purple Haze Lavender found in Sequim,WA.  They also have a lot of great info about cooking with lavender, including recipes!
Lavender has a unique and distinctive flavor that separates it from other species of mint. It has a floral, pungent aroma and flavor. So when you begin cooking with it, use it sparingly until you find the flavor you like. Remember it is the buds you are using, the leaves are not really tasty. Like the other flowers, it goes well in spreads and butters.  Paired with equal parts of sugar, it can be used in baking and salad dressings.  For more recipes try these recipes from Mother Earth News at http://www.motherearthliving.com/cooking-methods/lavender-recipes.
Garden Delights has an easy way to get you started with lavender with our Herbes de Provence herb blend.  This is a traditional French herb mix that contains lavender along with basil, thyme, marjoram, winter savory and rosemary.
 
So happy new year and enjoy some new flowery culinary delights.
 
Resources: The Herb Bible, Peter McHoy & Pamela Westland, Barnes & Noble Books
                    Homegrown Herbs, Tammi Hartung, Storey Publishing

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