Right now, Seattle is experiencing some fabulous summer-like weather. The sun is shining, my tomatoes keep growing, and Seattleites are in uncharacteristically good moods. This almost makes up for all of that record-breaking rain in June…almost. As a result, even though fall is less than a week away, I am craving light summer food rather than pumpkin spice lattes.

I received some tomatillos in my CSA shipment last week and I thought this would be a good opportunity to make salsa verde. Honestly, I had never worked with tomatillos up until this point. Their bright green color and paper-like husks always eluded me. I was never quite sure what the heck to do with them. Now I know–make salsa verde! This is a great starter recipe if you have never worked with tomatillos before. The food processor or blender does most of the heavy lifting and the result is absolutely delicious.

I love this salsa over Trader Joes tamales for a quick meal, or inside of a veggie quesadilla. This also makes a great sauce for chicken or fish dishes. Honestly, I am not sure if I am ever going to be able to go back to the jarred stuff!

Tomatillo Salsa Verde
Adapted from Gourmet

• 1 pound fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and quartered
• 1 fresh serrano or jalapeño chile, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 large white onion, cut into 4 wedges
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• Pinch of ground cumin (optional)

1. Coarsely purée tomatillos, chile, onion, garlic, water, and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor or blender.
2. Transfer to a large heavy skillet and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.
3. Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature, then stir in cilantro, lime juice, salt to taste, and cumin if desired.

To prep the tomatillos, peel the husks off and dispose. Then cut the tomatillos into quarters.

You can either use a jalapeño or serrano pepper for this recipe. The jalapeño will result in a milder salsa.

After blending the mixture in a food processor or blender, transfer to a heavy skillet or pot. My Le Creuset did the trick. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the salsa is reduced to your desired consistency.

If you are making this recipe ahead of time, add the lime and cilantro just before serving for the freshest taste. I know there are a lot of cilantro haters out there, so just know that this salsa actually tastes wonderful with or without it!