Kiwano Salsa Verde

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This salsa verde is different from any that you have tasted before. It’s comprised of a variety of roasted vegetables, and one surprise ingredient: the Kiwano horned melon. If you’re unfamiliar with this fruit, you’re not alone. Once it was only grown in New Zealand, but now it is also grown in California, and made available by Melissa’s Produce.

They are seedy and mild in flavor with a taste of cucumber, melon, and lime. It will add a brightness to your salsa verde that will have your guests wondering why yours tastes so much better than theirs. You can introduce them to this colorful and spiky melon by using the scooped out halves as serving dishes. Turn something ordinary into extraordinary.

Kiwano Salsa Verde

2 lbs. Melissa’s tomatillos, husked
2 Melissa’s shallots, peeled
1 large Melissa’s jalapeño
3 cloves garlic
1 small bunch cilantro
Pulp from 1 Melissa’s Kiwano Melon
½ - 1 t. cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Turn the broiler on in your oven and move the rack as high as it will go while you prepare your ingredients. Line a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil. Place husked tomatillos, shallots, jalapeño, and garlic onto the pan, and roast until charred, turning vegetables to be sure they are charred evenly.

Place roasted vegetables, all remaining ingredients, and pan juices into the work bowl of a food processor, and pulse until saucy. Taste for seasoning adding more salt, pepper, and cumin, if desired.

 

Avocado Salsa Verde

I am queen of the salsas, and what would the week be like without my providing you with yet another must for your repertoire? I don't think either one of us wants to think about that. Today it is salsa verde with the wonderful, creamy, packed-with-nutrition addition of avocado.  Sound good?  It is!  It is also a breeze to make. Whip up a batch shortly after your guests arrive and serve it in the shell of the avocado.  Delicious and great fun!

Avocado Salsa Verde

2 pounds fresh tomatillos, husks removed, roasted*

1 medium Melissa’s serrano chile, seeds removed, minced

1 clove garlic

3/4 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

¼ teaspoon cumin

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

2 large avocados, diced

Kosher salt, to taste

*To roast tomatillos, preheat your broiler, line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil and place the tomatillos on top. Place as near to the broiler as your oven shelves will allow and roast until charred. Flip over to the other side and char. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. You can roast the chile and garlic along with the tomatillos, but watch it as will roast more quickly. Do not remove the charred bits, they add flavor to the salsa.

Place tomatillos, chile, and garlic in food processor. Pulse until a coarse puree forms. Pour puree into medium bowl. Mix in onion, cilantro, cumin, and lime juice. Fold in avocado, and season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover; chill in fridge).

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Salsa Verde

Is it too early to start thinking about Cinco de Mayo?  I think not! Particularly when you are hard at work perfecting your salsas. I think I've done it with my latest, and greatest, version of salsa verde. At least it would seem so since I am eating it on absolutely everything (even at breakfast where it has twice graced the top of a poached egg), and have to stop myself from just eating it, spoonful by spoonful, right out of the bowl. In fact, I was so excited about just how good this is that I decided I must make room in my deck container garden for a pot of tomatillos, perhaps near the potted jalapenos; I can see now that I'm going to be using a lot of these! You may have your favorite jarred salsa verde, but nothing, and I mean nothing, can beat the taste of homemade, particularly when the tomatillos are roasted.

This was a tricky recipe to compose. Essentially, it is just grab and dump when it comes to ingredients, adding more as you taste until it reaches flavor perfection. As taste is subjective, what appeals to me, may not particularly appeal to you. If you don't care for cilantro, eliminate it. Try some parsley in its place. If you like less heat, seed the jalapeno.  If you like more heat, use two. The recipe below reflects what I did. Feel free to experiment.

Salsa Verde

2 pounds fresh Melissa's tomatillos, husks removed
3 small cloves garlic, peeled
1 large jalapeno
1 small bunch cilantro
1/3 cup chopped scallions
1/4 teaspoon cumin
Juice of half of a lime
1/4 cup chicken stock
Salt, to taste

To roast tomatillos, preheat your broiler, line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil and place the tomatillos on top. Place as near to the broiler as your oven shelves will allow and roast until charred. Flip over to the other side and char. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. You can roast the jalapeno along with the tomatillos, but watch it as it may roast more quickly. Do not remove the charred bits, they add flavor to the salsa.

Place tomatillos, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro, scallions, cumin, and lime juice in the work bowl of a food processor or blender. Pulse until saucy. Remove to a bowl and stir in stock until it reaches desired consistency. Salt to taste.

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