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Not all fresh herbs can survive the winter chill. However, fresh cilantro thrives during the winter, yielding a very refreshing flavor with notes of scallions throughout.

A member of the Apiaceae family, closely related to carrots, cilantro makes for a great addition to soups and salads, morning egg and breakfast potato preparations, and of course, homemade salsas. This week I prepared a coconut rice dish topped with fresh cilantro leaves as the Fix of the Week, below.

I also like to incorporate fresh cilantro into lentil soups, beef stew, as well as add it to salad dressings and marinades. I find cilantro is best when added to your meals fresh just before serving. Cilantro is available at all weekly Santa Barbara certified farmers’ markets from several local producers. Certified organic is available. Price averages $2 per bunch.

Tangelos

Falling somewhere between a navel orange and satsuma tangerine, the tangelo is recognized by its deep orange peel, glossy skin and rounded body with a slightly lifted rounded neck. Very easy to peel and relatively seedless, it delivers a distinctly sweet and tangy flavor profile with notes of grapefruit throughout.

The tangelo is believed to be a hybrid cross of a Dancy tangerine and a Duncan grapefruit.

Tangelos are very juicy so they can be used as both an eat-rightout-of-your-hand fruit, as well as for juicing. They’re available from several local growers. You can find tangelos while in season at the weekly Saturday Santa Barbara Sunday Camino Real, Tuesday Santa Barbara and Thursday Carpinteria farmers’’ markets. Price averages $3 per pound.

Sweet Potato

With a pink skin and creamed colored fresh, these are some of my favorite sweet potatoes to enjoy when available. I like to combine some peeled Japanese sweet potatoes with Yukon gold potatoes in my mashed potatoes. They also make a very nice addition to beef stews. Japanese sweet potatoes deliver a very smooth texture when slowly roasted in the oven, or they can be pan fried to yield a crispy exterior. They yield a nice underlying nutty flavor with an almost chestnut like presence. You can find Japanese sweet potatoes at the weekly Saturday Santa Barbara, Sunday Camino Real and Tuesday Santa Barbara farmers’ markets. Price averages $3 per pound. Sam Edelman is general manager of the Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Market Association and host of “Farm to Table,” which airs live 9 a.m. Thursdays on KZSB AM 1290. Sam Edelman photos

Fix of the Week

There is rarely a day that goes by when I do not incorporate fresh herbs in at least one of my meal preparations.

From fresh parsley and thyme to oregano and tarragon, each offers its own distinct infusion of flavor, with seasonality being a big factor on which herbs I’m using at any given moment.

In the summer and fall months, fresh basil is probably the most commonly used herb in my kitchen. It pairs very well with the fresh tomatoes, eggplant and peppers that are readily available that time of year. As the days shorten and the night chill sets in, fresh basil makes its exit for the year, re-emerging sometime in the late spring.

During the winter, however, there are two herbs that continue to thrive during the cooler time of year that I use the most: parsley and cilantro. While both initially appear quite similar in shape and color, upon closer look you can notice the contrasts of the leaf’s structure, as well as the very different aromas. I utilize fresh cilantro far greater than I do parsley in my home kitchen, usually adding it at the very end of a hot meal, or gently tossed into cold food preparations.

Delivering nice refreshing flavor notes of scallions, fresh cilantro is a must for homemade salads, chicken tortilla soups and curry dishes. It is also delicious when sprinkled over roasted vegetables and meats, tossed in quinoa dishes and as a nice addition to most salads.

This week I prepared coconut rice, which I served with sauteed vegetables, wilted spinach and fresh salmon. It was the chopped fresh cilantro leaves sprinkled over the top that really tied the dish together.

COCONUT RICE WITH FRESH CILANTRO

1 cup long grain basmati rice.

2 tablespoons cooking oil (I use grapeseed oil).

4 cloves garlic, minced.

1 inch piece fresh ginger, very finely grated. Zest from 1 small lemon.

13.5-ounce can light coconut milk.

6 ounces low sodium chicken broth.

½ teaspoon salt. Freshly cracked pepper. 1 tablespoon brown sugar.

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped.

In a wide pan with a lid, add oil and rice. Turn the burner to medium-high heat and toss rice. Add garlic, ginger, and lemon zest and toss. Cook for about 3 minutes, turning occasionally to toast rice and infuse with the garlic, ginger and lemon zest.

Slowly add coconut milk and chicken broth, followed by the salt, pepper and brown sugar. Mix, reduce to a simmer and cook covered with the lid positioned to allow some venting, for about 25 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced and the rice reaches desired textures.

Top each serving with fresh cilantro.

Yield: Serves 4.