Charred Green Tomato Salsa

IMG_7015 (3)My final (weh!) Potter Hill CSA share this week was leeks, yokatta na, lettuce, parlsey, delicata squash, sweet potatoes, green tomatoes, red tomatoes, and pea tendrils. The lettuce went into a simple salad alongside Spanish tortilla (made with potatoes leftover from last week). I used the yokatta na (instead of chard) and tomatoes in this delightful crispy lamb with chickpeas and garlic yogurt (I LOVE a good garlic yogurt). Some potatoes and leeks are going into this sheet pan chicken with harissa, but you could always go the classic vichyssoise route. At this point in the season the pea tendrils are a little tougher, so I prefer to cook them before eating. They would be great as one of the greens in rice bowls, or sauteed and added into a frittata. When it comes to winter squash I prefer recipes that have an element that contrasts the sweetness, and the peppery arugula and bitter radicchio in this salad make my heart sing. 

It seems silly to give meal ideas to consume salsa with…but this is a substantial amount of salsa. We ate some of our salsa with chips and on of my absolute favorite meals (which happens to be very festive!): burrito bowls. I made the recipe exactly as shown, with the addition of pickled onions. Tortilla casserole, enchiladas, and breakfast burritos are all meals where I can see this salsa making more appearances. 

Even though the CSA is ending, you can still buy produce weekly from Paul by putting an order in over the weekend and picking up on Monday. Thanks for cooking through the season with me!

Charred Green Tomato Salsa

Makes 1 quart.

I didn’t have any fresh jalapeño when I was making this salsa, but if I did I would have cut it in half and charred it along with the rest of the vegetables (you could remove the seeds for less heat). The fresh jalapeño would replace the pickled, but I would still use some of the brine if I had it. If you don’t have any pickled jalapeno brine, you can sub white vinegar or up the lime juice to 3 tablespoons. Please note this is not a recipe intended for canning (but here is one if you’re looking).

  • 2 lbs green tomatoes
  • 1/2 lb white onion (this was 2 small onions for me)
  • 4 garlic cloves (unpeeled)
  • 1 tablespoon minced pickled jalapeño
  • 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro and stems
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon pickled jalapeño brine (see note)
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice (mine was from 1 lime)

Preheat your broiler on high, and move your oven rack to the setting closest to the broiler.

Quarter the tomatoes (or cut into eights if extremely large). Quarter the onions through the root and remove the skin. Put the tomatoes, onions, and garlic on a baking sheet and broil for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes check on the vegetables and move them around so they char evenly. Keep broiling and checking in 5 minutes increments until they are all nicely charred but not fully black. You may need to remove the garlic, as it will char much faster than the tomatoes and onions.

While the vegetables are charring, put the pickled jalapeño, cilantro, salt, jalapeño brine, and lime juice in a food processor and pulse to chop (but don’t puree).

When the vegetables are charred let them cool slightly. Peel the garlic, and cut the root ends off of the onions. Put the garlic, onions, and green tomatoes in the food processor and pulse until chunky. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt, lime juice, pickled jalapeno, or brine as needed. Make sure to taste before the salsa is at your desired texture, because you will continue to process it as you add more ingredients. Once the seasoning is to your liking, puree to your desired smoothness and get out the chips.

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