[z_willus_d]

I was planning on creating a new thread for my Tomatillo Salsa adventure this past weekend, but Since I just noticed this one started by brokenbar, and since I'm a huge fan of hers and the tomatoes she shared with us all a couple years back; and since I'm so glad to see her back here at the TV, I figure I'll post an add-on to this thread.

I have 2 Toma Verde (1st pic) and 2 and "a half" Gigante tomatillo (2nd pic) plants growing in my garden. I purchased both seeds from Burpee. So far, the the Verde plants seem to have produced bigger and more and nicer fruit than the better positioned, and more vegetative, Gigante vines.

I'm dying to make salsa from my tomatoes, but between all the powdery mildew, thrips and other pests pressures, heat stress, and birds harvesting my goodies, I've not managed to collect enough for a batch. But I had a decent crop of tomatillo fruit this Sunday, which I harvested up and put to use in a Salsa Verde type recipe.

I've posted pics kind of showing what I did. I also harvested a selection of peppers from my so so doing plants: Tam Jalapeno, Salsa Hybrid (Burpee), Godfather (Burpee, similar to Anaheim), and one other Italian frying pepper I can't recall the name for.

Since my grill is out of propane and it was too hot to mess with charcoal outside, I decided to get some hickory smoking wood chips (from Safeway), which I placed a few handfuls of in my oil-lined cast-iron Le Cruset dutch oven. I then put down another layer of foil atop the wood chips and let the pot cook on the stove at medium high heat for around 10 min. It began to smoke, so I added the tomatillos and peppers series in order to smoke and somewhat steam them. While one batch was cooking/smoking (covered) in the dutch oven, I'd roast a batch of peppers in a pan so they get that crispy, burnt, roasted taste. I'd smoke those a bit too before throwing everything into the blender.

I had to blend in four rounds. To each cycle, I added a good handful of chopped cilantro, a dash of fresh oregano, salt, cracked pepper, dash of Asafetida (garlic substitute), and the juice from one half of a squeezed lime. I Also added about one half a cup of halfed sungold cherry tomatoes, since I had them to use. I didn't add any garlic or onions, since I am allergic to both, and I can say the result didn't suffer for their lack.

After blending each of the four batches, I mixed them together in the dutch oven (sans wood chips) with no heat. I added more salt to taste, mixed, and loaded up pint jars. All except two of the jars went through a pressure cooker cycle of 15-min at 10lb. My wife said it was the best salsa she'd ever had, but then the heat from the peppers hit her and that all changed somewhat. I'm very happy with the result. I think I'll be able to harvest a second load in another month or so, and so I can get another round of salsa made. These pints will not last long, they go down so fast.

My best wishes to all and nice to see you back brokenbar.
-naysen