Tomatillos

Tomatillos are a fruit related to tomatoes and have a husk covering them. They can be many colors when ripe including purple, red, green and yellow. If left in the husk, they last in the bottom of your fridge's crisper for up to a month! You can also freeze them whole or sliced. Additionally, you can use them in salsa which you can preserve through canning and/or freezing. Given that the share this week will include a number of possible salsa ingredients, here is a recipe from Epicurious.com for tomatillo salsa:

Tomatillo salsa

  • 1 1/2 pounds fresh tomatillos or 3 (11-ounce) cans tomatillos
  • 5 fresh serrano chiles  (you may substitute any pepper)
  • 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 large onion, coarsely chopped  (you may substitute some scallion)
  • 2 teaspoons coarse salt

Preheat broiler.

If using fresh tomatillos, remove husks and rinse under warm water to remove stickiness. If using canned tomatillos, drain and measure out 2 cups. Broil chiles, garlic, and fresh tomatillos (do not broil canned) on rack of a broiler pan 1 to 2 inches from heat, turning once, until tomatillos are softened and slightly charred, about 7 minutes.

Peel garlic and pull off tops of chiles. Purée all ingredients in a blender.