I bought a small package of cilantro to use in a recipe and now I have more but don't know what to put it in.  I made this delicious corn salsa with the cilantro - boy was it yummy.

Would it be ok to dry it and use it latter like I do with our parsley?  I love the smell and flavor of cilantro but this is my first time using it.  Ideas please!

It's great on sandwiches or tacos in the place of lettuce :-)

What about cilantro pesto?

You can toss it with other salad greens in a salad.  Chop and use as a topping for soup, such as black bean or tortilla soup.  I love to make fruit salsas to serve with fish or chicken- just dice up some mango or pineapple, toss with some diced onion and peppers, a minced clove of garlic, chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice.  Sounds kind of weird but is really wonderful.  Make a pasta salad with cooked pasta, black beans, corn, chopped tomato, onion, olives, and cilantro.  I make a homemade dressing by combining some green taco sauce with a little red wine vinegar and oil, garlic, and chili powder.  It's reallly good, and the cilantro really makes a big impact in this one.

Black Bean Salsa

3 cans black beans, drained & rinsed

2 cans shoe peg corn, drained

2 cans Rotel

2 bell peppers, chopped

1 bunch green onions chopped

1 or 2 tomatoes, chopped

some garlic, minced (I usually have the minced stuff in a jar, so probably use about 8-10 cloves worth, but I like garlic!)

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

a bunch of cliantro chopped (or can use dried)

juice of one lemon (or can use lime juice)

Mix well. Is better if it chills overnight or at least several hours. Can be frozen, although I find that the bell peppers get awfully strong, so I either cut way back on them or add them in after thawing.

Makes a LOT.

Anne in (almost) Memphis

Cilantro is used a lot in vietnamese cooking. It's common in vietnamese sandwiches and soups. 

It's also big in southwestern cooking; almost every Bobby Flay recipe calls for it (and yes, that's soooooo much more than just tacos and burritos).

I buy a big batch every week, and always use it all. But go easy at first, some people take some time to get used to it.

Mix cilantro with line juice, onions, garlic, some oil, some pine nuts/almonds..yes, like pesto. You'll have something that livens up almost any veggie, and make a great marinade for meat.