I’ve wanted to make salsa verde, but to be honest, the tomatillo scares me a little. I’ve eaten the salsa before, but have never bought or cooked with tomatillos. Since Erika grew some in her garden and gave me a bunch, I had to give it a shot.

Tomatillos aren’t baby tomatoes, even though the Spanish name translates to “little tomato,” they are something else entirely. These little fruits are native to (and largely grown in) Mexico, but have been adopted by American farmers due to their resistance to disease. Tomatillos, sometimes called husk tomatoes, look like green, unripe tomatoes with a dry, leafy husk that wraps around the outside. The color of the fruit is a beautiful bright green, which fades a bit once you cook them. To prepare them, remove the husks, and a rinse. You’ll notice they are a little sticky so need a good rinse.

When Googling recipes, I was surprised how simple they looked. In total it only took about 25 minutes and that included cutting the vegetables and broiling the tomatillos. I used this recipe primarily because it gave me options. And of course I made some modifications using one jalapeño pepper and half of a poblano and half of a red cayenne pepper that Erika gave me for spice.

Peppers gave it a little kick, which I like. I froze some to save for later because it made a lot more than I can eat this week. It’s fresh, light, summery and quite delicious. I need to find additional recipes where I can use the salsa verde as an ingredient.

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