Let's Salsa

Every year we grow enough tomatillo plants to provide us with 10-12 gallons of fruit. This year we grew both purple and green tomatillos, they love sun and once started are a surprisingly hearty plant, at least for us. They are grown in cages made of field fencing, some of ours grow over 6' tall and almost as wide...in a good year.

The tomatillo fruit is enclosed in a paper-like husk that is filled in as the fruit develops. We usually pick them just before they split open the husk as at that point they tend to crack.Once cooked they have a sweet tart flavor that is very unique. We use them mainly for salsa, and have come to enjoy the taste of tomatillo salsa so much that it is now one of our favorites.

Here is our simple but tasty recipe;

Thaw 1 1/2 quarts frozen tomatillos in a saucepan over low heat, draining water a couple times. Once thawed, break them up with a potato masher and add the following.

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
A few cloves of chopped garlic
A couple small chopped onions
1/2 cup lightly diced cilantro
1 tsp. whole cumin seeds slightly crushed
Salt & pepper to taste

Serves 4


In our house it is served with quesadillas, eggs, over baked or raw grated squash, and is especially good served over a bowl of rice.