Farm Share 101 - Tomatillos

Tomatillos may look like green tomatoes, but they are actually closer related to gooseberries (the itty bitty fruit in the very front of this photo). Tomatillos are a fruit, native of Mexico that are chock full of tiny seeds and covered by a dry husk. Have you ever picked up a jar of salsa verde and thought it was going to be way too spicy? Those seeds you see are actually from the tomatillos and don't necessarily indicate the spiciness. In fact, over the past seven years I have experimented with many tomatillo recipes but keep coming back to using them to make salsa verde.

When is a tomatillo ripe?
Picking a tomatillo is different than a tomato as well. Tomatillos should be bright green, if the color has started to darken or turn the are over ripe. Tomatillos should also be firm to the touch, like a green, under ripe tomato. But at this stage of the game the tomatillo is considered at its peak. As for the outer husk, it should be crispy, not soggy.

Roasted Salsa Verde Recipe:

7-8 medium tomatillos, husked and rinsed
2 green bell peppers
1-2 green chiles, jalapeno for kick or poblano for a milder flavor
2-3 Tbs olive oil
5-6 sprigs fresh cilantro, de-stemmed and roughly chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup of water
Salt to taste

Instructions:

• Preheat a broiler to 500.
• Place tomatillos and peppers on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. 
• Roast 4 inches below broiler until beginning blackened in spots for roughly 5 minutes. 
• Flip the peppers to roast the other side for an additional 4 to 5 minutes. 
• Set peppers aside until the are cool to touch. 
• In a vitamix or food processor, combine the tomatillos, cilantro, onion and water, 
• Cut open the peppers to remove and discard the seeds and white ribs. 
• Add the peppers to the vitamix and blend to a rough chop. 
• Add salt and cilantro to taste. 

Try our favorite enchilada recipe, from Blue Apron.

See the rest of our Farm Share 101 posts.