Tomatillos Two Ways

OH MAN, this was good.  A smoky salsa and a bright tomatillo salad make this a phenomenal addition to your dinner.  


Smoky Tomatillo Salsa
4 pasillas (roasted dried peppers)  You can find them at any mexican market or even the mexican section at the supermarket.
about a pound of fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed and quartered
a cup of cilantro 
3 garlic cloves
tbsp packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp molasses
tsp ground cumin
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Cut your chilis in half, stem and seed them.  On a dry skillet at medium heat, use some sort of kitchen gadget to flatten the chilis out on the pan for about a minute, until they change color a little and get pliable, like good children should be.  Then cover with warm water in a bowl and wait 20 minutes.  I suggest listening to some Corridos.  Throw the chilis in the blender with the rest of the ingredients above, add a little salt and puree for a minute or so.  Then put your oil in the pan on medium again, and when the oil is shimmery like Freddy Mercury's pants, put the salsa in.  It will splatter, so don't actually wear Freddy's pants.  Stir every once in awhile for about 8 minutes, until the salsa thickens a little.  

You can do this ahead and reheat when you're ready.



Tomatillo Salad
salt & pepper
1/2 lb tomatillos, husked and washed
1/2 cup of cilantro
1 diced shallot
juice from one lime
2 tbsp olive oil


While it's resting, slice tomatillos very thin, and toss with olive oil, shallot, cilantro, and lime juice.  Salt and pepper to taste - serve.   so.  good.

Fire Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

A pair of Latina women stopped by the farm the other day and I learned these are Tomates. In Mexico what we call tomatoes are called jitomates. Like tomatoes, tomatillos are a member of the nightshade family and are related to the Cape Gooseberry. Tomatillos have the firm and tangy consistency of red tomatoes but they come in a paper-like husk. Sometimes known as husk tomatoes, they are excellent for making salsa verde.

Recipe for Fire Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Ingredients:

3 lbs Tomatillos

1 cup chopped onion

1 clove of garlic

1 cup chopped cilantro

1-2 jalapeños (seeded and chopped)

1/2 tsp sugar

2 Tbsp lime juice

Salt to taste

Directions:

Remove the husks.

Roast on a grill over hot coals (no flame) for about 20 minutes until tender. Turn them when they begin to blacken. This will give the salsa the black flecks that want in a fire roasted salsa.

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Pulse until the desired consistency.

Salt to taste.

and once you have your salsa made you can turn it into this recipe...

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chile_verde/