Eating Fresh in Port: Cilantro

What might you discover at the farmers market and green grocer this week? If my weekly community supported agriculture box is any clue, you'll find cilantro, beefsteak tomatoes, yellow cherry tomatoes, red and green peppers, salad greens, and garlic. While shopping for fresh produce , consider picking up a few bunches of fresh cilantro and a head of garlic to make this week's recipe.

Cilantro has a distinctive taste that seems to engender either love or absolute hate. In fact, an entire website, www.ihatecilantro.com, is devoted to what it calls "the most offensive food known to man." Cilantro-haters, however, seem to be in the minority. The herb is commonly used in Asian, Mexican, and Caribbean cooking, and is considered a digestive aid. Throw the chopped herb into jarred salsa or bean dip for a fresh taste, or add to sesame ginger dressing for an Asian flair.

The following recipe calls for cilantro as the base for a bright pesto. Mix with a pound of linguini or pasta shape of your choice, and pair with a green salad, for an easy dinner. This recipe was printed in "A Taste of Port Washington" – the Port Washington Chamber of Commerce's community cookbook, which is available for sale at After Five, Ayhan's Mediterranean Marketplace, Chamber of Commerce office, Dolphin Bookshop, and the Main Street Bakery. Keep reading Patch for our new column that will test out recipes from the community cookbook.

Cilantro Citrus Pesto

-          2 cups fresh cilantro leaves, whole

-          ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

-          2-3 cloves garlic, chopped

-          1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted *see note

-          1 whole lime

-          ½ lemon

-          Salt and Pepper to taste

In a blender, combine cilantro, olive oil, garlic and pine nuts. Zest the lime and the lemon and add to the blender. Squeeze the juice from the lime and lemon into the blender as well. Cover and blend until it has a sauce-like consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix with a pound of hot cooked pasta.

Note: toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat until golden and fragrant.