CORIANDER

Coriandrum sativum is the only herb whose leaves, buds, and dried seeds all have distinctly different flavors. We all know (and desperately love or hate) the fresh leaves known as cilantro, but it wasn't until farming this fall that I discovered the deliciousness its browned seeds have to offer.

Nutrition: Although the seeds are lower in nutritional value than cilantro leaves, they do contain a good amount of fiber and iron. Like most herbs, coriander will be consumed in pretty small amounts, but there is also a lot to be said about the health value of tasty, hearty fall food, to which coriander may contribute.

Harvesting and cooking: Coriander may be harvested once your cilantro plant has bolted and died (indicated by hard tan and brown stalks and dead leaves. Coriander is the tan to dark brown, rough seeds on top (see pic below). You can get hundreds from a single plant. We just harvested these seeds by hand as the plants died in the field, pulling the plant out of the ground (as it is consuming useless energy at that point), but I feel like you could also shake off a lot of seeds pretty easily, it just might not be as effective in removing every last one. Left to its own devices, the plant will eventually shed these seeds itself, encouraging cilantro to pop up all over the place the following spring, something you may or may not desire...

Coriander has a peppery, earthy flavor that is perfect for the autumn table. My favorite uses so far have been in butternut squash soup, along with some ginger, or ground over roasted sweet potato, carrots, and delicata. I am in love with the taste when it is roasted with my food, and eat it constantly. You can use a mortar and pestle or pepper grinder to grind down the seeds; I've been using the coffee bean grinder and it has worked great for me. I have heard rumor of a coriander soup that is strong, hearty, and delicious, but I have not been able to find a recipe that matches that description yet. It seems people often pair coriander with potatoes in a soup, though I haven't tried it yet.

Storing: These seeds will store well as-is for years. We keep some above the stove in a mason jar with other dried herbs for cooking, and that works just fine. You may also hang whole dead cilantro plants in your root cellar and then harvest the seeds as needed.

Other uses: The other obvious use for coriander is seed-saving, which is why I have spent so many hours on the farm meticulously picking these seeds. The seeds may be planted to grow new cilantro plants which in turn will provide you with plenty more cilantro and, eventually, more coriander for hearty fall meals.