Tomatillos

While working for AHA at the Downtown Raleigh’s Farmer's Market a few weeks ago, I was on the hunt for another unusual fruit or veggie that I could blog about and make a delicious recipe.  I visited Cloverfield Farm booth and meet Brian, one of the owner’s of this farm located in Timberlake, NC.  He had lots of produce to choose from but the one that caught my eye were the beautiful, papery, green tomatillos.  They were a great price at $1.25 per pound and I’ve never cooked with them before so I decided that’s what I wanted to buy.  Brian was very friendly and had tons of great, fresh produce to purchase, so make sure to visit Cloverfield Farms next time you’re at the Downtown Raleigh Farmer’s Market.

So What Are They?

Tomatillos plants are part of the nightshade family (the same family as tomatoes).  Tomatillos grow inside a papery, green lantern to a size of a golf ball.  The flesh is usually green but also can be found in yellow, red and purple shades. 

When purchasing tomatillos, look for intact husks that not too brown or shrived.  To prepare tomatillos, the papery husk has to be peeled away to expose the underlying fruit (see image above).  The husks may leave a residue on the inner fruit.  Simply rinse with water to get rid of the sticky film.  They can be stored at room temperature in their husks for immediate use or de-husked and placed in the fridge for long-term storage (up to a month!).  Tomatillos can be prepared in a variety of ways and are typically used to create salsa and sauces.  This fruit is a good source of fiber and vitamin C and is very low calorie (only about 20 calories for ½ cup).

I took my lovely tomatillos home and decided to make salsa verde, a very typical dish to make with this fruit. 

What you’ll need:

1 pound tomatillos, husked

1 onion finely chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 serrano chile

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (I used Thai coriander instead)

1 tablespoon chopped oregano

½ teaspoon ground cumin

2 cups of water (I used ½ of white vinegar and 1 ½ cup of water to add a little tang)

salt to taste

1. Place tomatillos, onions, garlic and Serrano peppers into a saucepan with water (and vinegar).  Add cilantro, oregano, ground cumin and salt.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes or until the tomatillos are soft.

2. Using a blender or food processor to puree the contents of the pot until smooth. 

You can used the finished salsa as a dip or a sauce on chicken and fish.  I served my salsa with blue corn chips.