My apologies for the lack of attention to this blog for this entire month. Mexico turned out to be quite an adventure as it neared the end. Although we were in a safe spot, we were burglarized 4 days before departure. The ladron (thief) got my computer with my whole entire life on it (with no backup! I know, I know...) (including Sippie's Studio labels which took me forever to create!) as well as phone, cash, coat, and... o yea, a suitcase to put it all in. The good news is that nobody was home when it happened. And even better news is how we were helped by sooooo many wonderful Mexican people who even walked the streets on our behalf, going door to door in one neighborhood to try and find the culprit. Despite this unsavory ending to a great trip, I would go back in a heartbeat - and certainly will when I get the chance.
One of those wonderful people who helped us was a woman named Josefina with a heart of gold; she's a new friend for life. In mid-January she taught me her method for salsa verde which I share here:
These amounts will make you about 2 cups of salsa:
Ingredients:
12-15 small tomatillos 1-2 cloves garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro sea salt to taste
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper (you will use only as much as your tastebuds can handle; just make sure you use a green colored hot pepper or your salsa will not be "verde" !)
2 tsp olive oil
Peel and wash the tomatillos. They tend to be sticky once the peel is off so you might want to soak them awhile, then rub the skins to eliminate that stickiness Cover with fresh water, add a dash of salt, and heat to boiling (about 15-20 minutes).
Meanshile, place your pepper(s) whole down on a hot griddle and broil til the color starts to change. Chop it in half or quarters along with the garlic and place both in a blender with salt, oil, and cilantro. (You might have to add a little water to get your blender to grab them all, but no harm done, as some people dilute their salsa at the end anyway.) Pulse these ingredients until liquid, then add the cooked tomatillos and pulse again until all is liquified. It will be slightly thick, and you can add as much water, as much salt and/or hot pepper to taste at this point.
This salsa will keep in the fridge for at least 4-5 days, and I find myself pulling it out for everything from huevos rancheros to spicy dip for chips.
Note: I've found that back in the States the peppers are not as hot as in Mexico so I'm using a whole pepper and still not getting a super picante HOT sauce. Maybe that's a good thing as I'm back in gringolandia where we gringos shy away from the burn. This salsa will now be featured at Thursday night taco night at Cenote on occasion.
One of those wonderful people who helped us was a woman named Josefina with a heart of gold; she's a new friend for life. In mid-January she taught me her method for salsa verde which I share here:
These amounts will make you about 2 cups of salsa:
Ingredients:
12-15 small tomatillos 1-2 cloves garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro sea salt to taste
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper (you will use only as much as your tastebuds can handle; just make sure you use a green colored hot pepper or your salsa will not be "verde" !)
2 tsp olive oil
Peel and wash the tomatillos. They tend to be sticky once the peel is off so you might want to soak them awhile, then rub the skins to eliminate that stickiness Cover with fresh water, add a dash of salt, and heat to boiling (about 15-20 minutes).
Meanshile, place your pepper(s) whole down on a hot griddle and broil til the color starts to change. Chop it in half or quarters along with the garlic and place both in a blender with salt, oil, and cilantro. (You might have to add a little water to get your blender to grab them all, but no harm done, as some people dilute their salsa at the end anyway.) Pulse these ingredients until liquid, then add the cooked tomatillos and pulse again until all is liquified. It will be slightly thick, and you can add as much water, as much salt and/or hot pepper to taste at this point.
This salsa will keep in the fridge for at least 4-5 days, and I find myself pulling it out for everything from huevos rancheros to spicy dip for chips.
Note: I've found that back in the States the peppers are not as hot as in Mexico so I'm using a whole pepper and still not getting a super picante HOT sauce. Maybe that's a good thing as I'm back in gringolandia where we gringos shy away from the burn. This salsa will now be featured at Thursday night taco night at Cenote on occasion.