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I’ve always loved cilantro, but it had a very specific place in my kitchen. And that place that leaned Mexican. Guacamoles, salsas, quesadillas. The odd Huevos Rancheros. But last summer, sort of through a kitchen miscommunication, it ended up in a salad with spinach and dandelion greens, and the brightness that it added changed my habits entirely. I now put a handful of it— both leaves and fine chopped stems in most salads, eggs, pestos, soups and slaws. So I nearly always throw some in my bag at the market. This past weekend while I was wandering through the Paffenroth stand, trying to justify buying yet another bunch of radishes, I spied a feathery looking herb, right next to the regular cilantro — Delfino cilantro. Clearly I needed some of that. I started nibbling on it while I was still on the subway home. It’s definitely cilantro, but less soapy, for those of you who have that problem with regular cilantro. It has a lighter and brighter taste, sweeter and subtler. So it has gone in everything I’ve made for the past few days. Salads, sure. Eggs, of course. Scattered on top of a coconut milk based soup, excellent. Just about the only place that I didn’t completely love it was in a cilantro pesto — it was a little too subtle once the oil and cheese and nuts joined the party. Until I combined it with regular cilantro and then it became a spread with both depth and brightness, that I tossed with some fresh tomato pasta, used as a dip for other vegetables and have been spreading on little garlic kissed toasts. (It’s apparently quite the toast week here.) One bunch each of regular and Delfino cilantros, 8 peeled & chopped garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of lemon vinegar, 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, 1/2 cup grated parmesan, all dumped in a blender or food processor, then enough olive oil to make it the right consistency — I like it thinner to use as a sauce and thicker for dipping and spreading.
Image may be NSFW.
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Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
