salsa verde

Here's what happens. I run home to visit my mom and wish her happy birthday, intending just to drop off her gift and talk for a while. She not only feeds me (well) with a wonderful pot of homemade, homegrown vegetarian minestrone, but also sends me home with bags and bags of vegetables. Among them: collards, chard, pattypan squash, eight-ball squash, cherry tomatoes, dill, and (best of all), about four pounds of tomatillos.... already husked, no less!

Last night, those tomatillos got rinsed, roasted, and pureed into some fresh and spicy salsa verde. The pepper lineup was taken from our backyard garden, and let me be the first to report that those serranos are spicy. The jalapenos may be tiny, but they pack a punch.

The verde verdict: it's spicy and tangy, and the fresh tomatillos impart a bit of sweetness to it, too. We scooped it up with chips right away, and today it was the garnish for my grilled vegetable salad. Enjoy!

Roasted Salsa Verde

3-4 pounds fresh tomatillos, husked and rinsed to remove stickiness

5-10 peppers, depending on how spicy you like it

1 large yellow onion, cut into chunks

3 cloves garlic

1 cup fresh cilantro

juice from 2 limes

salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 450. Spread the clean tomatillos and peppers on a baking sheet and roast for about 10-15 minutes, stirring once with a spatula.

In the bowl of a food processor, finely chop the garlic, onion, and cilantro. Add the tomatillos. peppers (stems removed), and lime juice and process until well incorporated. Season with salt. Serve warm immediately, or ladle into jars.

Keeps fresh in the fridge for about a week; if you'd like to give it as holiday gifts or save for later, ladle into sterilized half-pint jars and seal in a hot water bath.