Simple Salsa Verde

I love salsa verde. Tangy and intensely green, it's especially appealing at this time of year - like a spring tonic after months of slightly stodgy root vegetables and heavy winter food. So when tomatillos (salsa verde's key ingredient) showed up at our village grocer's the other week, I couldn't resist buying some.

Tomatillos, like tomatoes, belong to the nightshade family - but tomatillos are firmer than their tomato cousins, and much more tart. A mature tomatillo is bright green, and may be covered with a papery husk; the skin has a slightly sticky coating which remains even after washing (this is entirely normal).

The ingredients for salsa verde are simple and few: raw or roasted tomatillos, hot peppers, scallions, cilantro, and salt - all whirled together into a chunky sauce.

Go green!
(¿Vaya verde?)

I like to core, then roast the tomatillos slightly to release their juices and intensify the flavour - but you can skip these steps if you like. (Coring creates a little well to collect the tangy juice.)

Try salsa verde layered with cheese in quesadillas, or spooned over eggs for a lively take on huevos rancheros. As a topping for chicken enchiladas, it makes a pleasant change from red sauce. I've even used it, with grated jack cheese, as a filling for yeast rolls. (Perilously delicious.)

Wake up your eggs with salsa verde

Salsa verde is also the perfect complement to pork. We drizzled ours over simple tacos filled with what I call "cheater carnitas" (pork roasted in a crockpot until tender, removed from drippings and shredded in a shallow layer on a sheet pan, then sprinkled with chopped onion and heated in a 350º oven until onions are soft and meat is crispy at the tips).

Mmmmm

Simple Salsa Verde - yields about 2 cups

3/4 lb. tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and stemmed (about 6 medium fruit)
3 serrano peppers, coarsely chopped
(I am a spicy-food wimp, so I use one jalapeño with seeds and ribs removed)
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1 bunch scallions (green onions), coarsely chopped
1 large bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Lightly core and roast tomatillos (if desired) under broiler for 5-7 minutes until juicy and slightly charred. Cool slightly (or completely - either is fine). Do not chop roasted fruit or you'll lose the flavourful juice.

(If you skip the roasting step, coarsely chop the raw tomatillos, and add a few tablespoons of water when blending your salsa to attain desired texture.)

In a blender or food processor, puree tomatillos and chopped pepper(s) until chunky. Add remaining ingredients and puree until no large chunks remain. Enjoy!

Salsa verde keeps for about a week in the refrigerator - if you can make it last that long. We had no problem polishing off this batch in record time. (In fact Mr. M likes to scoop it up with a spoon and eat it plain.)

You can of course buy salsa verde in a jar - I like Herdez brand for its authenticity and short ingredient list (preservative-free, and no mysterious "natural flavors" or "spices" which are usually a cover for MSG). But sometimes it's just more fun to make your own.

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