Tag Archives: alvarez

so we can eat: alvarez farms & eric’s tomatillo salsa

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Tiptoeing through the puddles to the end of November, we have reached the final posting of our “so we can eat” series for the 2012 season, saving our hottest find for this chilly month.

Family-run Alvarez Organic Farms is a welcome year-round presence at the farmers markets. A heavy hitter in the business for at least 20 years, their hard work, dedication and family support makes their delicious produce that much more desirable to their die-hard fans (like us!).

Some of our favorites this year were the feisty-colored Green Zebra tomatoes, and the beautiful array of eggplants, tomatillos and neon-hued hot peppers including Habanero, Jalapeno and Ghost Peppers. Walla Walla onions, garlic and peanuts (yes, peanuts!), are also special items that can be found at their stand at market.

A few weeks ago, we happened upon the last of their tomatillo harvest at Proctor Farmers Market. We were able to find all the ingredients we needed to make our family’s full-bodied tomatillo salsa. Simple and fresh, the following recipe is just right for topping a variety of dishes – from chicken burritos to fried eggs to a simple bowl of rice.

Eric’s Tomatillo Salsa

Ingredients

  • 4 Habanero peppers, seeded
  • 4 Serrano peppers, seeded
  • 8 Jalapeno peppers, whole
  • 6 Ancho peppers, whole
  • 2 heads of garlic, cloves peeled
  • 20 tomatillos, whole
  • 4 med Walla Walla onions, caramelized

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 425F. Dry roast all the peppers on a hot skillet, then let them cool slightly. Meanwhile, roast the garlic cloves and tomatillos in the oven at 425F. Blend the dry roasted peppers, oven-roasted garlic, tomatillos and caramelized onions together in a food processor until salsa reaches the desired balance between smooth and chunky.

Keeps fresh in the fridge up to 1 month. Store in an airtight container.

Who were your favorite producers and vendors this year? Would you like to see the “so we can eat” series return for the 2013 season? Let us know in the comments below.

Happy Noshing! -wild wren