Beekman 1802 - Salsa Verde

Tomatillos and hot peppers. Photo: Brent Ridge, Beekman 1802.

Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell are the farmers and innovators behind Beekman 1802, a 200-year-old estate and farm in upstate New York. We'll be running recipes, photos and tales from the farm as their crops come into season.

Earlier this summer, when a friend gave us a few small tomatillo plants, we weren't really that interested in them. Nevertheless, we found a spot in the heirloom garden and pushed them into the dirt.

Three short months later, as we watched every blight-bitten tomato turn brown and drop from the vine, we were thrilled to have those tomatillo plants.

Oddities in the garden, we've been asked more than once what they were. One visitor even exclaimed, "I didn't know you could eat Japanese Lanterns!"

With a few other late-summer ingredients from the garden and a few things from the root cellar, we came up with a delicious version of Mexican salsa verde. Note: Salsa verde is a generic term for "green sauce." Virtually every cuisine has one, and the "verde" can come from many different sources.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde

2 pounds tomatillos, husks removed
1 cup white onion, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro
Juice of one lime
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2-3 hot peppers (choose the variety depending on your personal preference)
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Remove the husks (we save them for garnish because they look like exotic flowers) and wash the fruit. The fruit will have a slightly sticky surface.

Cut tomatillos in half and lay cut sides down on a baking sheet. Place sheet under the broiler until the skins just start to turn dark brown.

Put tomatillos and all other ingredients into food processor and pulse until everything is finely chopped and thoroughly mixed. Refrigerate until cool.

Serve with warm tortilla chips or as an accompaniment to a cheese plate or as a bruschetta topping.

Do you have a favorite salsa verde recipe? Tell us in the comments.