tomatillo salsa

Thanks to Isabel Caudillo and the Simple Salsa class at La Cocina, I now know the basics of making a variety of fresh and cooked salsas. I was super excited when we received tomatillos in our CSA this week and decide to make a salsa verde. Tomatillos are small green fruit that grow in a non-edible papery skin. They have a tart flavor and the texture of an unripe tomato. They make absolutely awesome salsa! I imagine they would also be wonderful breaded and fried … I might have to try that next week.

Tomatillo Salsa 
1 lb tomatillos, dehusked
1/2 onion, cut into large chunks
1 serrano chili, seeds removed if you want a mild-medium salsa
3 cloves garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 lime, juiced
salt, to taste

For this salsa I used a mixture of cooked and raw tomatillos because I wanted two distinct flavors in my salsa—the tartness from the raw and the sweetness from the cooked tomatillos. I chose to make a salsa hervida—a boiled salsa— because it is easy and quick, but you could also dry roast the tomatillos, saute them in a little vegetable oil or grill them.

In a small saucepan combine half of the tomatillos, onion, chili and garlic. Add water to just cover. Simmer for 10 minutes. Strain out the water and put in a food processor. Add the raw tomatillos, lime juice, cilantro and a large pinch of salt. Process until almost smooth. Taste for seasoning. It is that easy! Enjoy with chips or with carnitas tacos like we did!

-Emily