Salsa Verde (Green Tomatillo Salsa)

There's a wonderful Latino store in a neighboring town that caters to a diverse population of Asians, Latinos, Caribbean Islanders, Eastern Europeans, and Africans. The produce is fresh, cheap, and so diverse I'm constantly smelling and touching and wondering what people make with these things: four different kinds of bananas, bitter melons, foot-long beans, sixteen different kinds of peppers.

Tomatillos with husks on

One item that might be unfamiliar to the average American is the tomatillo. It looks like a small green tomato in a sticky, papery leaf. These cook into a tangy salsa that I like even better than tomato salsas. I've made this salsa fairly mild because I'm a wimp with spicy food, but you can make it as hot or mild as you like. I used lemon thyme instead of regular thyme, but if you don't have it, regular thyme works.

This salsa is often used to make a breakfast/brunch dish called Chilaquiles (Chee-lah-kee-lays). I'll post that recipe next!

Salsa Verde

(Salsa Vair-day)

Ingredients

4 lbs. tomatillos, husked and washed
8 medium jalapeno chiles (remove the seeds if you want to reduce some of the heat)
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
12 garlic cloves, peeled
2 cups white onions, chopped
3 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
2 cups fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of 2 fresh limes
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp canola oil

Directions

Cut tomatillos in half, place in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tomatillos begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and chiles and cook another 10 minutes.

Using a strainer or slotted spoon, remove the tomatillos, garlic, and chiles to a blender or food processor; reserve liquid. Add herbs, onion and 1 cup of the reserved liquid, blend until partially smooth but still has some chunks.

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add salsa, 1/2 cup more of the reserved liquid, and salt. Simmer over low heat until it thickens - approximately 10-15 minutes.

Makes approximately 4 - 5 half pints.



You can find other canning and preserving recipes in my book, The Complete Guide to Food Preservation: Step-by-step Instructions on How to Freeze, Dry, Can, and Preserve Food