When we moved to Tucson we met transplants from other areas of the US. Many of them were converts; they used to live in green, rainy, cold climates and now were avid lovers of the Sonoran desert. One woman was so bold to say that she had become a "desert preacher", which I assume means one who earnestly advocates for the beauty and unique setting that is the desert. We never thought we would become one.
On days when we hated the desert, it was to us an ugly, hot, pile of dirt. When we loved it, we loved it. Prickly Pears. Saguaros. Baby Quails. Lizards. Blue Sky. Awesome weather. Monsoons. Mountains and beautiful, beautiful sunsets.
And then there is the food...oh, the food!! So good! Well, we'll just have to learn to make it on our own now - and I hope you can join along with me.
After I finished my MA, I took several books and traded them in for one of our now favorite cookbooks. Sam has made a few signature dishes his own from the cookbook, one in particular is a favorite of mine called "Pollo en Escabeche de Cebollas Caramelizades, Zanahorias y Jalapenos" - roughly, Chicken with onions, carrots and jalapenos with a tangy sauce.
We made this dish the other night for our dear friends Sarah and Mike, but started it out with my new favorite salsa - Roasted Tomatillo. I think you should try it - it's easy and yummy. It makes us feel like we at least learned a thing or two when living in the desert, and now can preach about it's many, many wonderful attributes like, Roasted Tomatillo Salsa.
Try it. Then you can say you know how to make green salsa.
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa - Makes 1 1/2 cups
4 medium (about 8oz total) tomatillos, husked, rinsed and halved. (should be about the size of a nectarine, smaller than an apple).
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
Hot green chiles to taste (either 2 serranos or 1 jalapeno), stemmed and roughly chopped.
1/3 cup loosley packed and roughly chopped cilantro
1/2 small white onion, finely chopped
salt
You should be able to get all ingredients at the grocery store, even the tomatillos.
(WARNING - be careful when working with fresh chilis. Do not touch the inside of them you seed and slice them. Use utensils. Rookie mistake means burning fingers for at least a day and NEVER touch your eyes! Wash hands after working with them. Trust me.)
Instructions: you don't have to roast the tomatillos. You can simply husk, rinse and quarter them before throwing in your blender/food processor. I like them roasted.
Roasting: over medium high heat in a non-stick skillet, lay the garlic and tomatillos, cut side down in the pan. I recommend using a layer of aluminum foil in the pan to prevent sticking. Allow the tomatillos to brown (about 3-4 minutes) then turn them over with a spatula and brown the other side.
Preparing the Salsa: scrape the tomatillos and garlic into a blender/food processor and let cool to room temperature (about 3 minutes). Add the chilis, cilantro and 1/4 cup water. Blend to a coarse puree. Pour into a salasa dish and thin with a little water, if necessary (I skip this step). Scoop chopped onion into a strainer and rinse under cold water. Stir into the salsa. TAste and season with salt (I use about 1/2 teaspoon). Put in fridge.
Serve with your fav tortilla chip. You may want to consider making a double batch if you have more than 2 people - it goes fast.
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