There’s still a lot growing on the farm… Besides being overwhelmed with tomatoes of all kinds, we’ve got squash, carrots, tomatillos, herbs, peppers, cucumbers, beets… and more tomatoes:) The biggest hit at the Basalt Sunday Market last week were the tomatillos – if you’re not familiar with them, come by for a sample and you’ll be sold.

The tomatillo is a plant in the nightshade family that originated in Mexico and is definitely a staple of Mexican cuisine. The small, round green-yellow fruits (the tomatillos) are surrounded by an inedible, paper-like husk. As the fruit matures, it fills the husk and splits it open, which lets us know it’s ripe and ready for harvest. The fruit should be bright green and firm, and the husk also fresh and green. Although some are surprisingly sweet, most tomatillos are a bit on the tart side, which makes for amazing sauces and salsas. I’ve been experimenting with them and have found it hard to go wrong…

Try a blending a few tomatillos, a clove or two of garlic, some lime juice, half an avocado, a green zebra tomato (which we also have on the farm), and a bit of chopped onion and cilantro for an amazingly fresh and unbelievably delicious salsa for tacos, eggs, chips and guac, or anything else you can use for a carrier:)

Another great way to use tomatillos is to roast them in the oven with some hot peppers and garlic, and blend with some of the same ingredients above for a roasted salsa. It’s really nearly impossible to go wrong. Let us know if you have any great recipes of your own!