Steve, I'm snipping my first crop today as well.

Tricks to season-long cilantro:

Buy seed in bulk - see link. (1/4 lb for $7.65 - lasts years) I'm using some now thats 4 years old.

I use plastic 'window boxes' - 4" by 4" by 3' or 4' long. But any pots will do. Fill with potting soil, sprinkle seed 1/2 inch apart on the surface, keep moist until they germinate.

In two weeks, start another pot. And in another two weeks, another pot.

When the cilantro is about 3-4 inches high, use scissors to start trimming off the top 2 inches of tender leaves/stems for consumption. That will grow back in about a week, and you can repeat once again. But after two cuttings, it starts getting weird, so discard, shake out the soil from the roots, and plant more fresh seeds.

They like steady, moist soil with a high-nitrogen content. I use Miracle Grow.

Great in salsa.

Edited to add that I just saw 'Bob in Colorado' 's post on the pea thread - yes, indeed, cilantro is a weed when it gets out in the garden. But I don't have much luck harvesting the tender leaves with the garden plants - unless I want to spend time with scissors snipping them off one at a time.

This method with the pots - just give them all a hair cut.

Here is a link that might be useful: Johnny's seeds cilantro

This post was edited by david52 on Thu, Jul 11, 13 at 13:05

Yesterday for dinner, we did fried cod fillets with lemon pepper crust, saffron rice, and a coconut cilantro sauce all over everything.

Some good, is fresh-from-the-garden cilantro.

David, that looks like what Steve Raichlen was up to in the last show I saw from Barbecue U!

Here it is, linked below. It was "Brazilian Coconut Shrimp Kebabs" and sure looked good! I think he could have easily doubled or tripled the cilantro but the 3 tablespoons of lime juice and big piece of sliced ginger helps.

Nice fresh flavors!

Steve

Here is a link that might be useful: Brazilian Coconut Shrimp Kebabs

Looks like a great crop, Steve!

Only three tablespoons of fresh cilantro?

per serving, maybe

~sniff~