CSA Wednesdays: Sweet Peppers & Tomatillos + Simple Salsa Verde

I was almost giddy when we got a pile of sweet peppers in our CSA box a couple of weeks ago. Especially the lighter green one that looked like a pirate hook. Farm-fresh produce has so much more personality than commercially grown!

I think they’ve got tomatillos planted at the farm as well, but I was antsy and ran to the store to get some. I’d had a salsa verde craving for a while and couldn’t wait any longer.

Pictured: Crispy Shredded Chicken Tacos, Spicy Turkey Chile Verde, & Tomatillo-Chipotle Salsa

If you’ve never tried tomatillos, you definitely should. They look like little green tomatoes wrapped in a papery husk and have a tart, citrusy flavor. I’m not a fan of eating them raw, but after a good roasting, they make a fantastic salsa. Make a big batch of salsa verde (recipe at the end of the post!) and whip up a few of these recipes.

Tomatillos & Salsa Verde 
Tomatillo-Chipotle Salsa
Shrimp & Cotija Enchiladas with Salsa Verde
Crispy Shredded Chicken Tacos
Hominy Minestrone
Spicy Turkey Chile Verde with Hominy and Squash

Pictured: Stacked Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas, Grilled Turkey Burgers with Smoky Aioli, & Balsamic Chicken Pasta with Fresh Cheese

I love bell peppers. Raw, roasted, whatever. My two-year-old recently informed me that she doesn’t like peppers when they’re cooked. Blast.

Sometimes she does though, depending on what day it is. She told me on Sunday that she likes them on Tuesdays. Is it just me or is 2 a little young to be so fickle?

Anyway, here are a bunch of my favorite recipes to use up some sweet peppers…

Bell Peppers
Stacked Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas
Grilled Turkey Burgers with Smoky Aioli & Corn Salsa
Spicy, Citrusy Black Beans
Balsamic Chicken Pasta with Fresh Cheese
Asian Noodle Salad
Pioneer Woman’s Migas
Chicken Tandoori Kebabs
Smoky Mexican Chicken Stew

AND…

Here’s a simple salsa verde recipe for you. If you don’t want to turn your oven on, feel free to grill the tomatillos and the peppers outside!

If this batch is too big for you to eat, the salsa freezes really well!

Simple Salsa Verde

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 - 2 lbs fresh tomatillos, husks removed
2-3 poblano peppers or jalapeno peppers, halved and seeded (optional)
3 whole garlic cloves, peeled
2 T heat-safe oil (like grapeseed or coconut)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 T fresh lime juice
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Rinse tomatillos to remove their sticky coating and place them on a rimmed sheet pan with the pepper halves (if using) and the whole garlic cloves. Roast for about 30 minutes until the tomatillos and peppers have black spots.

Remove the blackened skin from the peppers and transfer roasted vegetables and any juices from the pan to a blender of food processor. Pulse until chunky. Add onion, lime juice, cilantro and puree until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4-5 cups. (I think.)

Nat's Notes:
1. If you don't want it too spicy, reduce the number of peppers you add and remove all of the seeds. If you want it more spicy, leave more seeds.
2. You can also grill the vegetables instead of roasting them. Just put the garlic cloves in a wad of foil so they don't feel left out.

from Perry's Plate

CSA Wednesday, Gluten-Free, Homemade Staples, Mexican/Southwest, Paleo/Primal, Perry's Plate Originals

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