GardenSpotlight

Tomatillos are a mainstay of Mexican cuisine and they are quickly making their way into American home gardens. The tomatillo looks similar to a tomato, but smaller...each fruit weighing about 2 - 3 oz. The plants grow to about 4 feet, and the fruits develop inside a papery husk which is shed when the fruit is ready to harvest. They are green to yellow in color, and I've seen one variety that was actually purple in color. They are most widely known as being one of the main ingredients in Green Salsa, for which the recipe follows. Tomatillo Salsa...this is a large batch recipe for canning... 5 1/2 Cups Tomatillos, husked, chopped and cored (about 2 pounds) 1 Cup chopped onion 1 Cup chopped Green Chili Peppers ( Serrano Chiles provide much more heat than Jalapenos ) 4 Cloves Garlic 2 TBSP minced Cilantro 2 tsp ground Cumin 1/2 tsp Salt 1/2 tsp Red Pepper 1 Cup Vinegar 1/4 Cup Lime Juice Combine all ingredients in a large saucepot. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and si...

We began harvesting some other vegetables on the farm, so I figured I had better get you all some recipes to go with them! This week we began harvesting Swiss Chard, Cucumbers and Miniature Eggplant. Miniature Eggplants are great...they are very tender and sweeter than most other types of eggplant. We like to coarsely chop them, after peeling and removing the stems. Then saute them in garlic and olive oil and add to omelettes or other vegetable dishes, such as sauteing them with summer squash and tomatoes. They add a little bit of a buttery flavor to our omelettes, which I love! You can also slice them length-wise and brush with olive oil, season with Oregano and Garlic and roast them in the oven or grill them on the BBQ. Use a non-stick foil sheet on the grill so they are easy to remove. Another idea I love is to take the roasted or grilled eggplant along with red and yellow roasted peppers from the grill & grilled or sauteed onions, place them all in a vegetable wrap an...