Last week we got tomatillos.
From rain.org
The tomatillo is of Mexican origin and is related to the husk tomato. It is an annual low growing, sprawling plant usually not more than 2 feet high. The tomatillo has small, sticky, tomato-like fruits enclosed in papery husks. They are 1 to 3 inches in diameter and green or purplish in color. . .
The tomatillo is an important vegetable crop in Mexico (11,000 ha) and is grown in small plantings in the warmer areas of California. Commercial cropping has been successful along the central and south coasts, as well as in the low deserts and the central valley. . .
Use. Tomatillo is widely used as a principal ingredient in green salsa, but also in soups and stews. It should be harvested in a developed but unripe stage. Quality criteria include the intensity of green color of the fruits and the freshness of the husk. Fruit which begins to yellow is of low culinary value.
Nutrition. The tomatillo is similar to the tomato in vitamin A, and second only to mushrooms in niacin. It also provides fair amounts of vitamin C. The fruits are high in ascorbic acid (36 mg/1,000 grams).
J got a recipe out of her old 'the vegetarian epicure book two' by anna thomas: enchiladas salsa verde. The salsa part includes:
"Peel the dry skins off the tomatillos, wash them, and boil them in lightly salted water for 7 to 10 minutes, or until they are just soft. Drain, purée them in a blender, and put them in a saucepan with the minced jalapeño peppers, 4 tablespoons of the chopped cilantro, the salt and 1/2 cup of the chopped onions. Simmer the sauce gently for about 40 minutes."It was really good. There was a wonderful new taste.
One of my all-time favorite tomatillo recipes is Bobby Flay's green chile. You can find it on the Food Network. The only thing I do differently is to add roasted/peeled poblano peppers. So yummy!
ReplyDeleteHaven't had much luck growing tomatillos in zone 5 without a greenhouse. They stay pretty small, although they are still good. I tried starting them earlier under grow lights, but the plants get huge!
My favorite salsa is a green salsa which is pretty much what you did, except I like to roast the peppers and tomatillos under the broiler. Plus I add a bunch of sugar because of my sweet tooth.
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