A couple of months ago, I made an offhand comment on an article in my local newspaper (which only exists on-line, so why do I persist in calling it a paper?). My comment prompted a personal response from the editor like 30 seconds later, and the next thing I knew, both my husband and I were signed on as volunteers to help get a new farm market off the ground.
Well.
It started Saturday and it turned out to be glorious. The day was perfect, the vendors were great, someone was there with a pizza oven on a trailer making piping hot fresh pizzas, and I spent two and a half hours chatting with friends and neighbors and acquaintances and farmers and strange dogs. And I felt relieved and proud that people showed up, because publicity - which is what I've been doing - is not my strong suit.
Anyway, I came home with a weird mish-mosh of things, like a wild boar cacciatorini and some fresh eggs and a jar of "cream of sausage" tomatoes (which was neither cream nor sausage, but just pale yellow plum tomatoes) - and a quart box of tomatillos. Why I bought the tomatillos is kind of a mystery to me, but it could be because they came from a tiny farm run by two charming women with dirt under their fingernails.
Of course, then I had to figure out what to do with the tomatillos - something I've never ever before bought.
First up, I made a salad, more or less as follows:
- 1 ear of leftover corn, kernels sliced off
- 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/3 cup of quinoa (which cooked up to about a cup and a half)
- 10 tomatillos, cleaned and diced
- some chopped parsley
- some chopped fresh oregano
- juice of a lime
- a glug of olive oil
- smoked paprika
- salsa salad seasoning
- salt
- pepper
Toss together and eat. I had the leftovers for lunch today, and if anything, it was even better.
The next night, I made kind of a salsa, which we ate with grilled chicken and polenta:
- 20 tomatillos, cleaned
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- a glug of olive oil
- a splash of moscatel vinegar
- a few springs of oregano, chopped
- salt
- pepper
We roasted the tomatillos until they collapsed. After they'd cooled, I buzzed them with the hand blender and stirred the rest of the ingredients in. I should have chopped the tomato up a little finer, but no matter - it was a lovely, sweet sauce.
Moral of the story? Try the tomatillos.
14 comments:
Tomatillos are super good in pico de gallo. Rough chop tomatoes, tomatillos, cilantro, onion, add salt & lime juice. SO GOOD.
That's awesome, what you did. As I've complained before, we don't have much around here- the weekly markets are all tomatoes and zucchini - boring!
You've inspired me. I love tomatillo sauce, not i must make some.
Maybe you're next thing should be a cookbook based on what is sold at the farmer's market--your food always sounds incredible.
Good for you -- what a wonderful project!
I luuuuurrrrve me some tomatillo hot sauce. Never brave enough to bring home fresh and make it myself. And congrats on the success of your market. Sounds like such a fun grocery experience.
YUM! And congratulations on a successful day at the market.
In one of the "best of the market" bags through my food co-op, I rec'd ONE tomatillo. I had no idea what to do with it. I think it went bad before I could figure it out. Salsa - I'll try that next time.
In one of the "best of the market" bags through my food co-op, I rec'd ONE tomatillo. I had no idea what to do with it. I think it went bad before I could figure it out. Salsa - I'll try that next time.
And Martha Rose Schulman agrees.
Her Recipes For Health is all about tomatillos this week.
Well done with the market!
YUM!
I think "glug" might be my favorite measurement term ever!
They are awesome roasted and whizzed with blanched almonds and olive oil and white grapes into a kind of whitish gazpacho and chilled, drizzled with olive oil and a bit of white balsamic vinegar and a little lime juice.
some delicious ideas here!
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