Cucumber Salsa

Have you ever had Cucumber Salsa?  It's the best salsa EVER!  You've got to try this.  The only down side is that chopping all the ingredients is kinda time consuming.  But, oh so worth it!  (Blessing #883)

Cucumber Salsa
2-3 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and chopped
2-3 medium Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c. chopped green pepper
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2-3 TB lime juice
2-3 TB fresh cilantro, minced
1-2 tsp fresh minced parsley
1/2 - 1 tsp dill weed
1 tsp salt
Tortilla chips
Chop everything and combine for 2 hours to let the flavors blend.  Serve with chips or over grilled chicken breasts. 

It's so yummy, and so good for you.  In fact, there are only 11 calories in 1/4 cup of salsa. 

I decided to plant cilantro in my garden this year, to make my cucumber salsa even more economical.  (I already have tomatoes, green peppers, and cucumbers in my garden, just waiting to start producing some vegies for me.)  My cilantro was looking so beautiful, and I couldn't wait until I had ripe cukes and tomatoes.  But look what happened!

Have you ever seen such a thing?  What is it doing?  Flowers?  Really?  The leaves used to look like cilantro, but now they look way different.  What's the deal?

This is what it's supposed to look like . . . and this is what it looked like when I planted it.  But something horrifying happened to it.

So I asked my buddy Google for some help, and he told me that if the soil is hotter than 75 degrees, cilantro will "bolt".  I've never heard of such a thing!  Bolt?  What does that even mean?  

Apparently, once the soil gets too hot, it forces the herb to flower and become coriander seeds, which I can still use I guess.  But once it gets flowers, it no longer produces leaves.  How sad! 

Stupid herb.

I'm hoping it will grow again next year since it's now gone to seed.  Maybe then I will transplant it into my kitchen and just grow it indoors.  Or maybe I'll just pick up my cilantro at the supermarket.  Either way, I still get to enjoy my cucumber salsa. I hope you try it too!  It's AMAZING!!