Green Up Your Meals

And I don't mean eat lots of dark and leafy greens, although they can be delicious, and hearty. I mean, why don't you make a bit of tomatillo salsa to have in the fridge? My condiment of choice this week has been this salsa, to have on top of just about anything.

Sure, we all know the typical chips and salsa pairing, and it's great-- a standard. But as an accoutrement to chicken cutlets, pounded, aggression-releasing, with a kitchen mallet, then dredged and fried in crisp cornmeal, what could be better? Or what about baked, as the liquid to savory Mexican-style rice, sound good? I haven't thought of a way to incorporate the salsa into a dessert, but give me a bit of time.

Tomatillos, the star of this condiment, are like tomatoes, in that they are members of the nightshade family; but that is where the similarities end. Tart and acidic, they are the green fruit that you taste in many Latin American dishes. Ranging from 1-2 inches in diameter, with a papery, inedible husk, tomatillos are relatively easy to find in American grocery stores, and most definitely in Latin American markets. A good thing because I know that you all will be running out to purchase them as soon as you know how simple the salsa is to make.

The only things required in this assemblage are a blender or food processor, and your oven, since this is a cooked salsa. With just a handful of ingredients, you can make up a batch of tomatillo salsa anytime you choose. If you would like the recipe for Roasted Tomatillo Salsa, it is on the Daily Specials page.