Tomatillos

Until now I've been scared of cooking with tomatillos. They've always looked intimidating with their weird husks and sticky coating but, last night I made a homemade tomatillo salsa for the first time. Before I reveal the recipe here are a few tips about buying/using tomatillos:

Tomatillo Tips:

1. Always buy firm tomatillos that sit tightly in their husk.

2. When cooking with tomatillos buy a few extra than the recipe calls for because under the husks there are always some duds.

3. After removing the husks, don't be alarmed by the sticky coating simply wash the tomatillos and begin your cooking prep.

Photo courtesy of indieogdenutah.com

Tomatillo and Roasted Poblano Salsa

Ingredients:

7 tomatillos

2 medium poblano peppers

1/2 medium red onion

1 tablespoon cilantro

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Start by washing & drying the poblanos. Place them on a baking sheet as is and broil them in the oven. There is no need to use any olive oil here.

2. Roast the poblanos for 20 to 30 minutes flipping regularly. The peppers are ready when most of their outer skin has charred. Let the peppers cool then peel off the outer skin.

3. Roasting the peppers is the only actual "cooking" in this recipe. Now, finely chop the tomatillos, the peppers, about a tablespoon of cilantro and about half of the red onion.

4. Combine all chopped ingredients with a tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Tomatillos are in season from Summer to early Fall. I've been finding them at my weekend farmer's market and definitely recommend giving them a try. They make a salsa that's a bit tart and beautiful to look at.