Recipe: Green Tomato Salsa

This is a more Australia-friendly alternative to the Tomatillo salsa recipe.  If you can’t get the real deal, this suffices.  Or you can go out and buy a jar of salsa verdes at Harris Farms.

Ingredients

• 1 dozen small Green Tomatoes
• 4 Jalapenos (or to taste) stems removed
• Salt
• Lime and/or lemon

Some Instructions

This is what you make when you can’t get Tomatillos.

I get smallish green tomatoes all about the same size, a centimeter or so in diameter bigger than a ping-pong ball.

1. Roast the tomatoes and jalepenos on a baking pan at 225 Celsius.  (You’ll want a lip on the pan to prevent liquid spills in your oven.) Pull the jalapenos out when they start to wilt.  I let the green tomatoes go until they start to brown, then flip them over and go another 20 minutes.  Last time they went almost an hour.  You don’t want them getting *really* brown, just a tint.  When raw, they are quite hard, after cooking they should be pliable.
2. Let the grilled vegetables cool somewhat, then toss them in a food processor with the salt.  Whizz em around until they turn into salsa.
3. Chill.  After chilling, squeeze a little fresh lime into your salsa.  This helps recapture some of the citrusy brightness that Tomatillos have (and green tomatoes don’t).

This makes a good dip for chips, and also is great on chicken enchiladas.