In Praise of the Tomatillo...

One of the really easy "tricks" I fall back on quite a bit, especially in the summer, is to roast up and process some onion, tomatillos, and jalapeno and/or serrano peppers.

Tomatillos can sometime be a bit difficult with their papery husks and the sticky residue underneath, but GrandMart out near 7 Corners sells them husked and shrink-wrapped in foam trays - all you pretty much have to do is give them a rinse and rough chop them in thirds or fourths.

To about a pound of tomatillos, add a rough chop of a medium-to-large white onion, and jalapenos, seeded and cored to taste. Toss them with some olive or vegetable oil to coat, salt and pepper, and broil on a cookie sheet until charred and dark. Cool and dump into a food processor along with a chopped clove of garlic (I wouldn't recommend broiling the garlic with the other vegetables, as it is so easy to burn and leave really bitter), the juice of a lime, and a handful (call it a 1/2 bunch) of cilantro.

Puree until smooth, add a touch of cumin, and you have a really tangy and tart salsa verde. It will thicken up on standing in the fridge, so you may have to add some more lime juice/tequila. This sauce also makes a great base (along with some stock) for chili (I'll add some pictures of a pork chili verde I made a little bit ago for a chili cook-off), pozole (same), rice, or even a pasta salad.