As I mentioned last time, Chele and I attempted planting a garden together for the first time this year. Our results were mixed, with some things failing to grow at all while others have overrun us to the point that we can’t possibly use it all. But the biggest surprise we had was ending up with a substantial haul of something we didn’t even plant. Amongst all of the overly aggressive weeds that choked out the community garden plots we rented were a number of wild tomatillo plants. Since they popped up in an area where one of our intended crops failed, we decided to let them grow and have hauled home a nice crop of tomatillos over the past couple of months.
One recent morning, while deciding on what I was going to scramble into some eggs for breakfast, I had the idea to cook up a few of those tomatillos with some portabella mushroom that I had left over from another recipe. As I started chopping a little of the mushroom, I realized that I had quite a lot of on hand, but no real use for it. I figured I might as well cook it all up so it didn’t go to waste.
That lead me to deciding I should use more of the tomatillos while I was at. And some onion and garlic sounded like a nice idea. Then there was that manzano pepper I had bought on a whim with no real plans for it. Seemed like a good time to do something with that, too.
Before I knew what had happened, my quick saute of mushrooms and tomatillos had morphed into a full pan of salsa simmering away on the stove. I never did make those eggs….
I didn’t miss them, to be honest. A small bowl of this with some tortilla chips proved to be hearty enough to stand as a light meal on its own. This is equally good served hot or cold, and can be eaten as a dip, a topping for meats, sandwiches, burgers, tacos… basically any way you might use any other salsa.
Portabella Tomatillo Salsa
Ingredients
- 4 T olive oil divided
- 3 medium portabella mushroom caps (about 3-4 cups chopped)
- ½ cup onion diced small
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups diced tomatillos
- 1 manzano pepper finely chopped
- 2 T lime juice
- 1 T balsamic vinegar
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 T dried cilantro
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Heat 2 T oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add mushrooms and cook until they are brown and have released most of their liquid (about 5 minutes). Remove from pan and set aside.
- Heat remaining oil in same skillet. Add onions and garlic. Cook until softened and onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Add tomatillos and manzano pepper. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes or until peppers begin to soften.
- Return mushrooms to pan, then stir in all remaining ingredients. Bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat and allow to simmer gently (stirring occasionally) for 10-15 minutes, or until only a small amount of liquid remains (don't allow it to dry out completely).
- Salsa may be served warm, or can be chilled in the refrigerator to serve cold.
Notes
- We used wild tomatillos in this recipe since we had them on hand, but regular store-bought tomatillos will work just as well. The only real difference between the wild and commercial varieties is that wild tomatillos are significantly smaller and slightly more tart
- Manzano peppers are native to Peru and Bolivia, but have become established in Mexico and elsewhere in Central and South America. They are a separate species of pepper from the more familiar varieties of chile and sweet peppers, resembling a small orange bell pepper. They have thick, juicy flesh and black seeds (so don’t panic when you cut your first one open). The flavor is somewhat sweet and fruity, similar to habanero, but with a meatier texture. Heat is variable, but they are generally a bit hotter than most jalapenos, but well under the heat level of habaneros. Here in the Chicago area, we find them regularly at Tony’s and Mariano’s. If you can’t find them, a mix of orange bell pepper and seeded habanero would be your best substitute.
- While manzanos aren’t the hottest peppers around, they are so juicy that they are far more likely to linger on hands and cutting surfaces than most other types. It can be very tough to wash off of your skin, so wearing gloves is highly recommended.
