and
The October bounty continues! Just about the best time for fresh veggies from
the garden here in Northern California is October. Warm days and cool nights,
without the brutal heat of the summer months.
The BEST tomato in the world ..... 'Mexico'
I posted about it earlier this summer.
Tomato 'Mexico'
An heirloom tomato that is varied in color, tending to be pink and green
right off the vine, but ripens on the counter to a deep dark red. Left too
long on the vine, the woodpeckers will come down from the oak trees to
drill perfectly round holes to drain all the juice out of them.
This is about average, 12.7 ounces .... some weigh in at over one pound.
Extremely juicy, so it is important to slice them on a rimmed board or plate to save
all that deliciousness! A little fresh basil and some ground pepper, with crumbled Feta
and Balsamic vinegar yet to come.
One of about a dozen varieties of peppers, both sweet and hot, that I grew this year.
It's been a wonderful year for peppers and our first rain storm of the season this past
weekend just urged them on, with a whole new crop coming on here in the last week of October.
Cayenne (above)
Pablano - my favorite of all the peppers
And the ugly ducklings of the vegetable garden are surely the Tomatillos.
Odd looking little "green tomatoes" with a paper-like husk and a sticky exterior
and very seedy interior with green firm flesh.
Salsa Verde and green sauce for enchiladas are just two of the ways to use this odd little fruit.
There are many variations on the recipes, I tend to maintain the basic flavor of the tomatillos
by not adding a lot of extras to the sauces like cumin and cilantro. A Pablano or two, along with a Cayenne pepper and the tomatillos roasted in the oven until just turning black, processed in a food
processor and the sauce is good to go!
It is like honey and hot peppers, with the distinct flavor of the tomatillo clear and pure.
I can eat it by the spoonful from the bowl, but usually use it to top a batch of chicken enchiladas.
The sauce can be frozen too! Thaw, put in a sauce pan or double boiler and heat until just warm.
Assemble your enchiladas (these are chicken). I add an additional layer of flat corn
tortillas crisped on both sides on top of the enchiladas. I find it maintains the layers
of sauce and cheese better and freezes better too.
The green sauce goes on.
Then a generous amount of cheese!
15-20 minutes in a 400F oven and it's ready to serve
Tomatillos are a great addition to any vegetable garden!
Thanks for coming by again this week for a Sweet and Hot, Red and Green,
Outside Comes Inside Wednesday.
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