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Try a tomatillo: The sassy fruit makes any dish a tangy surprise

The tomatillo has been used by Aztec and Mayan cooks for centuries but can be found around the world and add zing to many dishes. (Bill Hogan/Chicago Tribune/MCT)
The tomatillo has been used by Aztec and Mayan cooks for centuries but can be found around the world and add zing to many dishes. (Bill Hogan/Chicago Tribune/MCT)Read more

By Judy Hevrdejs

Chicago Tribune

(MCT)

Think of tomatillos, with their flirty, papery husks and tart taste, as the sassy little cousins of beefsteak and Roma tomatoes.

They're not as abundant as those red tomatoes dominating farmers markets and produce bins. But tomatillos (toe-mah-TEE-ohs) offer cooks a lot more than the base for a bowl of salsa, brightening a variety of dishes with a refreshing lemony tang.

Jack Staub, a Bucks County, Pa., vegetable gardener and author, uses them in an Indian-inspired mix with okra. Monica Bhide, a cooking teacher and author based in Washington, D.C., uses them to make a chutney — which she often spoons over savory minicheesecakes. Dona Tomas chef Thomas Schnetz batters and fries them much like fried green tomatoes, serving them with a tomatillo and guajillo-chili sauce at his Oakland, Calif., restaurant. And at Norman's, Norman Van Aken's Orlando, Fla., restaurant, grilled pork is paired with a tomatillo-based mojo verde sauce.

That most people know tomatillos only for their role in Mexican salsas is understandable. The fruit, which also is related to the cape gooseberry, has been grown in Mexico and Guatemala. It has been used by Aztec and Mayan cooks for thousands of years. You'll now find them in India, Africa, New Zealand and Australia.

Cooks should choose the smooth, green fruits (when they start turning yellow they'll lose some of their characteristic tang), free of bruises, blemishes and dried, shriveled husks, Bhide said. "If the husks are unusually tight and the fruit firm, they are going to be very, very tart."

Staub began growing tomatillos 15 years ago after spotting them in a seed catalog. "They sounded intriguing, and of course I love green sauce and salsa. I loved the look of the papery husk." He now favors a purple variety for its color.

Because his garden delivers a bounty of tomatillos, he often pairs them "with onions and chilies, then some kind of spice. It can be a Mexican idea, with cilantro and cumin," Staub said, or with a little ginger, a little turmeric and okra, and "it kind of slants it in the Indian fashion."

Bhide, who launches the Indian edition of her book, "Modern Spice: Inspired Indian Flavors for the Contemporary Kitchen" in May, has found tomatillos used in the northern part of India. "It's where I got my inspiration for making a chutney because they're so tart," she said.

"Sometimes I will chop tomatillos up and saute them with grated coconut and a little bit of spice, and it's just great," she said.

A basic Mexican-accented green salsa of tomatillos, white onion, chilies and cilantro may be used as a dip or seasoning for tacos, eggs, fish, etc. Simmer that sauce a bit, then incorporate in recipes for enchiladas and chilaquiles. A tomatillo's tartness makes it a natural with rich meats (pork is popular) or chicken, especially in stews and soups.

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RICE WITH POBLANOS AND TOMATILLOS

Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 30 minutes Makes: 6 servings

Adapted from a recipe in "Dona Tomas," a cookbook by Thomas Schnetz and Dona Savitsky, who serve the rice with grilled foods and sauced entrees.

6 ounces tomatillos, husked, washed

1 poblano chili, toasted, peeled, stemmed, seeded

1/4 bunch cilantro, stems removed

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 small white onion, diced

1 1/2 cups medium or long grain rice

1. Put tomatillos, chili, cilantro and salt in a blender; puree until smooth. Add enough cold water to bring to 3 cups liquid; blend.

2. Heat a saucepan over high heat; add oil. Add onion; reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until translucent, 5 minutes. Add rice; cook, stirring until lightly toasted, 5 minutes. Add tomatillo mixture. Increase heat to high. Heat to a boil; reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 20-25 minutes. Fluff with fork, season to taste.

Nutrition information:

Per serving: 274 calories, 26 percent of calories from fat, 8 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 46 g carbohydrates, 4 g protein, 393 mg sodium, 2 g fiber

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RICE WITH POBLANOS AND TOMATILLOS

Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 30 minutes Makes: 6 servings

Adapted from a recipe in "Dona Tomas," a cookbook by Thomas Schnetz and Dona Savitsky, who serve the rice with grilled foods and sauced entrees.

6 ounces tomatillos, husked, washed

1 poblano chili, toasted, peeled, stemmed, seeded

1/4 bunch cilantro, stems removed

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 small white onion, diced

1 1/2 cups medium or long grain rice

1. Put tomatillos, chili, cilantro and salt in a blender; puree until smooth. Add enough cold water to bring to 3 cups liquid; blend.

2. Heat a saucepan over high heat; add oil. Add onion; reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until translucent, 5 minutes. Add rice; cook, stirring until lightly toasted, 5 minutes. Add tomatillo mixture. Increase heat to high. Heat to a boil; reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 20-25 minutes. Fluff with fork, season to taste.

Nutrition information:

Per serving: 274 calories, 26 percent of calories from fat, 8 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 46 g carbohydrates, 4 g protein, 393 mg sodium, 2 g fiber

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TART ADDITION, INDIAN STYLE

Tomatillos may have been born and raised in Latin America, but they are global travelers these days. Pennsylvania author-gardener Jack Staub, for example, grows the fruit. He knows tomatillos' tart character can kick up the flavor profile of a variety of dishes.

Sometimes called a green tomato — or tomate verde in Spanish — tomatillos are tarter than "green" unripened red tomatoes. They complement the ginger and turmeric in Staub's tomatillo and okra dish.

INDIAN-STYLE OKRA AND TOMATILLOS

Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 16 minutes Makes: 6 servings

Adapted from a recipe by Pennsylvania author and vegetable farmer Jack Staub.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 pound tomatillos, husked, washed, quartered

3/4 pound okra, sliced 1/2-inch thick

2 large plum tomatoes, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded, minced

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat; add onion and turmeric. Cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Add tomatillos and okra; cook over medium-high heat, stirring until browned and vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, jalapeno, ginger and water; season with salt. Simmer over low heat until okra is tender and most of liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes. Add cilantro.

Nutrition information:

Per serving: 92 calories, 49 percent of calories from fat, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 11 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 201 mg sodium, 4 g fiber

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COOKING WITH TOMATILLOS

Fresh tomatillos must have their husks removed first. Then, rinse lightly in cool water.

Use raw: Coarsely chop and use in salsas, guacamole, salads, or slice thinly for sandwiches.

Use cooked: Cook in boiling water until tomatillos begin to go translucent, about 5 minutes. Or roast tomatillos on a griddle until they soften and toast, darkly in some spots. Use in salsas or recipes as directed.

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TOMATILLOS VS. TOMATOES

Do tomatillos and tomatoes deliver the same nutritional power? Here's a quick look at a few nutrients based on USDA numbers (both are for 1/2 cup, chopped).

Tomatillos vs. Tomatoes

Calories

21 vs. 16

Calcium

5 mg vs. 9 mg

Iron

0.41 mg vs. 0.25 mg

Potassium

177 mg vs. 214 mg

Sodium

1 mg vs. 5 mg

Vitamin C

7.7 mg vs. 11.45 mg

Niacin

1.22 mg vs. 0.53 mg

Vitamin A

75 IU vs. 750 IU

Lycopene

0 mcg vs. 2,316 mcg

Lutein & zeaxanthin

308 mcg vs. 111 mcg

Source: USDA National Nutrient Database