Cilantro

Cilantro is a native to Southern Europe and Northern Africa according to Wikipedia. I can't recall, however, having Cilantro in any European dish I've ever had. Cilantro is very popular in Asian and Mexican cooking. We haven't grown much Cilantro in the herb garden at One Love Farm because it bolts (goes to seed) so quickly in hot weather. And since we like the fresh Cilantro in salads and bean dishes, we want to prevent it from bolting. While some suggest pruning Cilantro to help delay bolting, this only temporarily delays the inevitable. If you are a real Cilantro fan (folks either truly love the herb or despise it) the best method is to plant the seed every two to four weeks in good soil to keep a continuous harvest. Once the plant bolts, either let it go to seed, dry out and drop seeds on the ground for next year or, if you are motivated, dry the plant in your basement or garage, collect the seed and plant next spring. The picture above is one of a few Cilantro plants that came from the first method which is to allow the plant to self sow.

One final note about Cilantro. To some folks, the bolting of the plant is not something to be avoided, but encouarged. Cilantro's seeds are called Corriander and these seeds, sometimes crushed or toasted are used in a great many Asian and Indian dishes.