In Your Share (Oct 2nd edition)

We’re done with tomatoes for the season, but there are some great little tomatillos in the share this week! Also known as Mexican Husk Tomato, these are an interesting cousin to the tomato. A tomatillo fossil found in Argentina last year may be the oldest evidence of that plant family – Solanaceae, or nightshades – so far discovered. At 52 million years old, ancestors to the tomatillo may have been food for the dinosaurs! Thought to have been developed from a wild ancestor by the aztecs, the modern tomatillo (Physalis ixocarpa) is still a staple crop throughout central and south america. And we like to eat it up here too. The flowers are a distinctive yellow with black centers. The fruit can be green, yellow or purple and is always enclosed in a papery wrapper. Usually when fruits are mature they pop through the bottom of the husk. It adds a distinctive and complex flavor to any dish. Check out this recipe from Rick Bayless that uses tomatillos, cilantro, garlic, and hot peppers in your share this week.

Amazing recipes for tomatillos and everything else in your share are available to members at Cook With What You Have. If you joined our Summer CSA you will find your password in the member email. Enjoy 24/7 access to recipe inspiration!

This week your share may include…

  • Brussel Sprout Tops or Collard Greens: Fall greens are so good this time of year!
  • Cilantro: This is always good in salsa, but also makes a tasty addition to Thai dishes and makes a nice pesto too.
  • Garlic: I’ve been roasting lots of garlic lately with peppers and potatoes and really like them in this Calabrian Recipe at Cook With What You Have.
  • Jimmy Nardello Sweet Peppers: This is definitely one of my favorite peppers – the fruit is beautiful red, thin skinned, early ripening and so sweet!! A traditional Italian frying pepper, this particular variety is named for the grandson of the man  who brought to from Basilicata, Italy to Connecticut in the 1880’s. In addition to great flavor, I love that it is in the Slow Food Ark of Taste and has such a great story. More info about the people and the pepper can be found here.
  • Anaheim & Poblano Peppers: These are way more interesting than your average green pepper : ) Try this creative variation on the classic Chile Relleno
  • Hot Peppers: Tasty in any dish where you’d like to add a little heat! Plenty of jalapeños this week so I’m planning to make poppers! A couple of my favorite recipes are Baked Rings and Whole Roasted Jalapeños.
  • Red Potatoes: Not that you probably need a recipe for red potatoes, but just reminding you that this Calabrian Recipe with roasted peppers is really good!
  • Tomatillos: This would make a great green salsa with the cilantro, garlic, & peppers also in the share this week.

Coming soon… Fall Broccoli & Cauliflower!!