Nothing is better than a roasted Salsa Verde! Made from tomatillos, a small round green or green-purple tart fruit, which can be eaten raw or cooked. Tomatillos were domesticated by the Aztecs in central Mexico around 800BC and are members of the nightshade family, which includes tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and eggplants. The name tomatillo means “little tomato” in Spanish and comes from the Nahuatl word tomatl.

In 2017, a 52.2-million-year-old tomatillo fossil was discovered at Laguna del Hunco, Argentina, where ancient lake beds layer with volcanic ashes, providing paleontologists with precisely dated discoveries. This puts the nightshade “at least a dozen million years older than when scientists thought the first nightshade plant emerged on Earth” said Peter Wilf a paleobotanist at Penn State University.

In California, tomatillos can be found in most supermarkets, however I find ethnic supermarkets often carry fresher tomatillos. Select tomatillos that have an intact, tight-fitting, light brown husk. If you peel back a small part of the husk, the fruit should be firm and free of blemishes.

tomatillo in husk

When you remove the husks, you’ll notice they have a slightly sticky surface. This is normal. Wash the fruit with vegetable cleanser or soak in water and rub well to remove the film left by the husk.

Roasting the tomatillos and jalapenos brings out their flavor.

Tomatillo Salsa

serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 lb tomatillos
1 jalapeno seeded
1/2 cup cilantro
1/2 red onion finely chopped
1 or 2 limes
salt

Instructions

Remove the husks from the tomatillos and wash them well. Cut them in half. Cut the jalapeno in half and seed if you want a milder salsa.

Heat a cast iron pan on the stove and add the tomatillos and jalapeno to the pan. Roast until brown.

Chop red onion and cilantro.

When tomatillos and jalapeno are nice and brown, remove from the heat. Give the jalapeno a rough chop.

Place tomatillos, jalapeno and juice of one lime in Cuisinart or blender and pulse until blended. Add red onion, cilantro and generous pinch of salt. Pulse a few times. Taste and add more salt and lime juice if needed.

Serve with chips.

Notes

Make sure not to over blend onion and cilantro, short pulses do the trick.