Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Summer CSA Week 12-it's tomatillo time!


I am tussling with a kitty as I try to write this after a long day. Basil Rathbone is wired for sound.
I play wrestle him with my hand as I gently push him away, giving me the chance to type in a few more words.
A good day.
CSA baskets held lots of goodies, a drop of veggies to Rise Above, a most awesome vegan restaurant in St Catharines, a bounty of produce delivered to the marvellous people at Bamboo Natural Foods in St Catharines, and tonight off to Burlington to speak about extending the growing season, seed saving and heirloom vegetables.
Could this be a short post?
Yes it could.  It is past my bedtime right now!


Todays basket held quite a bit. Let's see if I can recall it all...
Peppers both sweet and hot, tomatoes, tomatillos, chicory, parsley, leaf celery, basils, licorice mint, carrots, mini cabbages and a few things just to sample. Cowpea, red malabar spinach. I know there is more but I can't think what.


The mini cabbages are not brussels sprouts, hence Tiffany you too can eat them!
Did you know that after you cut the main head of cabbage from the cabbage plant, your cabbage will produce mini-heads as pictured above. But the plant doesn't stop there. Once you cut the mini-heads, the plant kicks out more. How great does that make cabbage?


Great I say.

Tomatillos and hot peppers can only mean one thing. It's salsa verde time.

I don't put cilantro in mine-can't stand the stuff, so I don't grow it. Sorry if you do, but even cutting it with a knife and inhaling the scent repulses me. Did I say it is gross?

This recipe rocks...except for the cilantro of course. And use any of the hot peppers you wish for a mild or fiery heat.
(from allrecipes.com)


Tomatillo Salsa Verde Recipe

To cook the tomatillos, you can either roast them in the oven, or boil them. Roasting will deliver more flavor; boiling may be faster and use less energy. Either way works, though boiling is a more common way to cook the tomatillos.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/2 lb tomatillos
  • 1/2 cup chopped white onion
  • 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 JalapeƱo peppers OR 2 serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped
  • Salt to taste

METHOD

1 Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well.
2a Roasting method Cut in half and place cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin.
2b Boiling method Place tomatillos in a saucepan, cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove tomatillos with a slotted spoon.
2 Place tomatillos, lime juice, onions, cilantro, chili peppers, sugar in a food processor (or blender) and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed. Season to taste with salt. Cool in refrigerator.
Serve with chips or as a salsa accompaniment to Mexican dishes.
Makes 3 cups.

5 comments:

Niagara Gourmet said...

Linda the like or dislike of Cilantro is genetic!

Priscilla said...

What is the small yellow item in my basket that kind of resembles squash with brown ribbing?? I haven't cut into it yet. Do I cook it?

Linda said...

Oops Priscilla-just seeing your comment now. Did you figure it out? I don't think I know by your description..but would with a picture!

jim rogers farmland said...

Right by Thomas Jefferson's plantation!

Linda said...

That's cool Jim. How is that red clay to grow in?