Coriander

“It was white like coriander seed
and tasted like wafers made with honey.”
~Exodus 16: 31~

How sweet are Your words to my taste!
Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Psalm 119:103

Bearing double nomenclature in the United States, cilantro is a delicate annual with umbelled flowers which mature into coriander seeds. Cilantro is translated as coriander in Spanish; but here in the United States, we refer to the herbaceous, parsley-like foliage as cilantro and the seed of the plant as coriander, which is also one of the crushed ingredients in curry powder. The Romans made a recipe of coriander, cumin and vinegar to rub into meat as a preservative; the phrase manna from heaven is symbolic of emotional preservation in times of need.

Scripture compares coriander to manna, the “bread of heaven,” which the Israelites collected six days every week for forty years. It sounds like a recipe for complaint! On the one hand, Father God is providing for their meals. When someone offers to bring me food, they have struck my underbelly! As much as I enjoy preparing healthy meals for my family, I have a hard time turning down meals prepared by others; after all, food prep takes time that we all seem to run short of, at times. On the other hand, forty years is a long time to be eating the same food, day in and day out, so I can hardly blame the complaints of the Israelites; I have done my own share of complaining.

It takes self-restraint to practice turning complaint into gratefulness. Psalm 81 replays Israel’s trial when God lifted them from the clutches of slavery, providing respite from the wrath of the slave drivers. He removed them from bearing the yoke of slavery and fed them food in the desert place, but their unmet expectations churned up resentment.

I am still practicing self-restraint in those moments in my life when I’m facing unmet expectations and threatened with bearing a yoke of resentment. Those are the moments I need to retrain my brain to release my unmet expectations before resentful complaints set in. Take a moment to acknowledge that sustenance He provides in your own life’s circumstances through Psalm 81.

 

Carrot and Coriander Soup

1 lb. carrots, peeled and chopped                      

2 stalks celery, chopped                       

½ Yellow onion, chopped                    

1 apple, peeled and chopped

1 Tbsp Garlic

2 Tbsp Butter or coconut oil

2 c. Vegetable or chicken broth

1 c. Heavy cream or half ‘n half

Salt

2 tsp ground coriander, fresh cilantro for garnish

Lemon juice

Melt butter, stir in Tbsp garlic, onion, and celery until translucent. Add carrots and broth. Bring soup to a simmer for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool; carefully transfer carrot mixture to blender and purée to desired consistency. Pour back into pot and stir in cream, salt and pepper, coriander, cumin, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Garnish with cilantro.