“I like Cilantro, but you don’t have to.”— Todd Barry

Cilantro is a versatile herb from the fresh leaves of the coriander plant. You may find it scattered on many Mexican, Middle Eastern, Indian, and Asian recipes & dishes. It is almost always used fresh with a unique flavor that some love, but others wish to avoid. It's frequently used in salsa in Mexican cuisine and in Moroccan chermoula and Yemeni zhug.

What do you do when you have mounds of mounds cilantro in your garden? We chop the tender leaves to the desired size for cilantro salad. Or you can add chopped cilantro at the end of the dish as a top dressing. You don't want to cook this herb as it will lose most of its flavor. If you are making pesto or sauce, you can grind the stems as well with a food processor. The possibility is endless.