the cilantro sprigs that made me smile

I needed some cilantro the other day so I bought me some from the grocery's chilled section. It was just a bunch of short sprigs, the kind that still looked fresh-picked because of the bit of soil that clung to whatever was left of the roots.

When I was about to chop up the cilantro, my dad asked for the root parts. He wanted to plant them, and see if they'd live. I didn't think they would, considering that only some root fragments were left, which have probably been refrigerated for hours if not days. But he went ahead and stuck them in some soil. He reasoned that he just wanted to see what if - if they died, there's no loss because we would have been throwing the roots away anyway. If they lived, that'd mean new cilantro.

To our surprise the leftover bits of cilantro stretched outward after they've been in the soil for less than 24 hours. They looked even greener and healthier. I'm not sure that means they'll live for good, but seeing them alive is still a good smile-maker.


Survivors, aren't they?

We actually already have an herb garden outside our dwelling - oregano, lots of basil, fennel, some grasslike thing I don't recognize that tastes like onion - but I don't think we've ever had any cilantro. I'm excited at the idea of not having to go to the grocery for cilantro anymore. I hope these guys survive and thrive.