I recently was given a few dozen tomatillos, which are small, green fruits in the tomato family. At first, I was thinking of making a chutney, but I got distracted from that idea when I saw all the recipes online for salsa verde, which a tangy salsa made with a whole lot of tomatillos and cilantro. It sounded fresh and bright, perfect for these late summer days.

I used this recipe as my starting off point. Many of the recipes I found used very few ingredients, so I appreciated that this recipe had more than just a few flavours going on.

I also noticed that few recipes asked for one to roast the tomatillos first, which seems to me would be an important step, so that they taste sweeter and less bitter.

After throwing all the ingredients into the food processor, I added more of some things after tasting. This salsa is really something that should be made to taste, so don’t hesitate to up the amounts of something. I added a bit more jalapeño because I love heat in my salsa, and I also added more salt and coriander, as well as lime juice. The end result was a bit tangy, a bit spicy, a bit salty and very salsa-y. It’s a fun variation on the normal red salsa, and stirring some into guacamole really raises the guac’s flavor profile. As much as I love just dipping tortilla chips in it, I’m looking forward to making some bean and veggie enchiladas and using this as the sauce.

Salsa Verde (Tomatillo Salsa)
Adapted from Food-G

1 1/2 lbs. tomatillos, husks removed
1 white onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled, and roughly chopped
1 ½ cups cilantro leaves, loosely packed
2 green onions, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons salt (more to taste)
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 jalapeno, roughly chopped, with seeds
1-2 limes, juice only (to taste)

Boil, roast, or grill the tomatillos until soft and olive green in color. Let cool. In a food processor, combine all ingredients and blitz to a salsa consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with tortilla chips.

Here’s a quick post of some more of the local food we feasted upon while away on vacation. These two sandwiches are made with smoked seafood from Fumoir d’Antan, a smokehouse on the islands that specializes in smoked herring.

We went for the “tour” of the smokehouse, getting to see all the herring strung up over smouldering piles of wood. The atmosphere was great – very traditional and it felt like we had stepped back in time.

In the end, we bought all sorts of their smoked products. We brought back a jar of the smoked herring, and little tins of smoked mussels and lobster roe. We also bought some of their smoked mackerel, smoked salmon and a tray of smoked scallops. These were great to eat on their own, but even more fun to eat on sandwiches!

One lunch was smoked scallop grilled cheese, made entirely out of local products. We toasted up some of the amazing sourdough bread from the Madelon bakery, placed some of the smoked scallops on top, then smothered it with some of the unbelievable cheese from Pied-de-Vent fromagerie. Top with some black pepper and a little salt, and this was a great lunch.

Another day, we enjoyed this seafoody concocotion. Soli took some of the smoked herring and smoked salmon, tossed that into a bowl with fresh cherry tomatoes, two hard-boiled eggs, some chopped onion and a dollop of mayonnaise.

Mash it all up together, spread on some island baguette, and I was soon eating what soon became one of my most favourite sandwiches. Salty, smoky, fishy, and bright with the tomatoes – just perfection.

I loved eating these things on our porch. Who wouldn’t, when you walk out your front door and have this view?

Next post – the fishing trip! Until then, a few more photos from the islands:

Here’s a quick and easy summery pasta dish that can use up some of that zucchini surplus! With summer drawing to a close (sob!), zucchini is everywhere, and so this is a great weekday meal if you’re a little rushed and have pounds of zucchini sitting on your counter.

I knew I wanted to prepare a pasta dish that used thin slices of zucchini, so I went from there. What would go well with zucchini? In the end, I decided to sauté the zucchini slices in olive oil with garlic, onion and mushrooms, added a little bit of cream, then tossed in with the pasta. I topped it with fresh basil from the balcony garden and some grated Parmesan. In all, the dish probably took less than 30 minutes to prepare, and was bursting with fresh summery flavours. This is extremely versatile as well, so if you have other favourite veggies you’d like to include, just toss them in the pan!

Zucchini & Mushroom Pasta with Garlic and Onion
Adapted from Dirty Gourmet

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 -3 zucchini, thinly sliced
½ – 1 pound mushrooms, sliced
2-3 tablespoons cream
Salt and pepper
Fresh basil, finely chopped
Parmesan cheese, grated
½ pound pasta

1. Heat olive oil in pan. Add garlic and onion and sauté over medium high heat.

2. Add mushrooms and zucchini and continue to sauté until soft.

3. Add cream, salt and pepper and reduce heat to low. Simmer while pasta cooks.

4. Prepare pasta.

5. Add pasta to the zucchini mixture. Top with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.