Roasted Salsa Verde
It is football season, which means you need to run and make a huge batch of this Roasted Salsa Verde to have on hand. What might football season and salsa verde have in common? Well, they don't have anything in common. BUT they are directly correlated in this way:
Football Season=lots of guests and lazy get-togethers with family and friends
Roasted Salsa Verde=an easy recipe when you need to feed an army on command
I love football season and everything that comes with it. I try so hard to like football, but I just can't get myself to focus. If you tell me a story about a player, I'll follow them forever, but it's not the actual sport that makes my heart leap for joy. Instead, it's the people, the spontaneous naps, and the universal acceptance of munching all Sunday long.
I love it when people end up at your house just to watch the game, announced or not. However, it gives me massive anxiety when thinking about always having something on hand for munching.
This isn't as much of a problem for me right now, seeing as I don't have cable. But, in a similar respect, if I go to someone else's house to watch the game, I want to come with something yummy in tow.
Seriously, this salsa verde is so delicious, and it makes a giant VAT's worth without really trying. I roasted the tomatillos to give it that extra charred flavor, and blended them with already roasted green chile and a few spices to give it a deep and slightly spicy taste. Tomatillo salsa is a little more fruity than just your average tomato and chile salsa. But I LOVE the combination of flavors, and it's just spicy enough that I could do the football-watching dance. It goes like this: stuff your face with chips and salsa for an hour, inadvertently fall asleep for a bit, then wake up and do it all over again.
This salsa is SWEET/TART/SPICY GOODNESS.
Just a little note about the slight sweet and tart notes of the tomatillo: Tomatillos are not as closely associated with regular tomatoes as you may assume. While they are a part of the same family, tomatillos are more closely related to the gooseberry. They're sometimes called "green tomatoes," but it's actually a misnomer. Tomatillos, in fact are not green tomatoes, which are just an under-ripe tomato. Instead, they are an entirely different fruit.
Sorry for the #nerdout, but I learned that from Alton Brown at some point in my life. I knew it was taking up brain space for a reason!
So what is your favorite thing to make in bulk and munch with your friends during football season?
Roasted Salsa Verde
Total Time: 30 minutes Yields: Approx. 16 ounces of salsa
You will need:
- 1/2 lb. tomatillos
- 1-1 1/2 lbs. roasted Hatch green chile (medium or hot)
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 tsp. oregano
- 1 tbsp. salt
- light oil (for thinning purposes)
- Remove husks from tomatillos and rinse off to remove stickiness.
- Cut tomatillos in halves or quarters. Place in pan and broil in the oven for 7-9 minutes.
- Stem and seed 1 lb. of Hatch green chile, rough chop.
- Remove tomatillos from oven and add all ingredients to a food processor or blender (tomatillos, green chile, garlic, oregano and salt).
- Blend until smooth. At this point you can stream in some light olive oil or oil of your choice if you would like the consistency to be a little more thin.