Late July has arrived in the qathet region, and so has an abundance of fruits and vegetables to be harvested. According to the Powell River Farmers' Market, it's officially Greek salad season, meaning, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and possibly some peppers, are ready to be picked and made into a summer salad.
What's in season now: cherries, yellow plums, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries; fava beans, basil, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, chard, beets and cabbage.
Growing tomatillos has been growing in popularity because of the fruit's versatility and taste. They are not just green tomatoes, they are in the night shade family and a type of ground cherry.
According to West Coast Seeds, tomatillos can be harvested mid-summer through fall.
For salsa verde, or green salsa, harvest tomatillos when they’re just starting to lighten up on the blossom end. But for fresh eating, the fruit is sweetest when it turns yellow and splits its husks, sometimes falling to the ground.
Green salsa/salsa verde recipe:
Eight tomatillos, cored and diced
Half a small red onion
Four cloves of garlic, unpeeled
One jalapeno pepper (add more for extra spice)
Two tablespoons of olive oil or avocado oil
Two tablespoons of fresh lime juice
One-half cup of cilantro
Pinch of sea salt
Tortilla chips for the salsa
West Coast Seeds method:
Pre-heat the broiler with a rack at the very top of the oven. Arrange the tomatillos, chilies and unpeeled garlic on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
Place these vegetables directly under the heat for five to 10 minutes, until the skins are charred. Remove the papery peel from the garlic and the stems from the peppers.
In a food processor, place the tomatillos, onion, peppers, garlic, avocado oil, lime juice, cilantro and salt. Process until combined. If the salsa is too thick, add water.
Serve with tortilla chips.
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