Valley Bounty: Tomatillos

Tomatilloes are abundant and beautiful, but I didn’t grow up eating them and I’ve had to learn more ways to eat them. My best suggestion—and the simplest—comes from Montague restaurant The Alvah Stone: slice them very thin, using a mandoline if you have one. Toss the slices on a salad, or pop them in your mouth—they’re tart and sweet and surprising. I’ve also tested a few recipes this week, and you’ll find links to a cold and spicy Tomatillo and Cucumber Soup and a tried-and-true salsa on the Valley Bounty page at buylocalfood.org.

Valley Bounty is written by Margaret Christie

Sources: Find local tomatillos at farmstands, farmers’ market, or retailers that prioritizes local sourcing.

Recipes and Preserving Ideas:

Cold and Spicy Tomatillo and Cucumber Soup from Epicurious: I ate this soup for lunch three days in a row during this hot week, and it was delicious.

Tomatillo Salsa from Food in Jars: this can be eaten fresh, or canned for the winter. I thought it was a good tomatillo salsa, but a little salty as written.

Winter Squash Enchiladas with Tomatillo Salsa, also from Epicurious: I freeze a couple of batches of this salsa every summer, which makes it easy to make these enchiladas in the winter. Their recipe uses chicken stock, but you could substitute a vegetarian tomatillo salsa, like the one above, if you wanted to.