Greetings on this scorching 42 plus humidex day of summer! Given the heat, I am surprised  the veggies aren’t wilting in the field. But nope, the tomatoes are super duper happy – so  happy in fact that an early morning harvest collected 19 petite tomatoes, and a second harvest, right before 4 pm, collected a bunch more. Speaking of more, the summer squash is booming! There is almost 4 pounds in each basket this week. The kids had a grand time  playing nude in the rinsing bins (note, post veggie washing btw) and enjoyed splashing each other with the humongous zucchinis that will be filling the tummies of the pigs and chickens. Beans are producing nicely as well – you have green slicing as well as yellow and purple (note, I was greatly disappointed a few years back when I saw them turn green when steamed *sigh* but on the upside, they look lovely and are most edible raw!).

The newbies this week are fresh onions and tomatillos, a undervalued veggie to be sure. Although they look like green tomatoes, they have a funky summery taste and make an awesome salsa. They keep 1-3 weeks when left husked in a paper bag – before using simply peel off the husks and rinse to remove the sticky residue. Tomatillos are typically used in three ways — raw, boiled/blanched, or roasted. The following recipe works raw too, but it tastes very tangy/citrusy so you may want to try the cooked version first.

Fresh Tomatillo Salsa

about 1 lb fresh tomatillos
1/2 cup chopped onion
a few hot peppers, cored seeded and chopped (you can also use dried chiles)
1 bunch fresh cilantro, minced
2 tablespoons (ish – I use more) fresh lime juice
1-2 cloves fresh garlic
salt

Remove husks from tomatillos, wash, dry and quarter. Combine tomatillos, onions, chiles, and garlic in a pan. Over medium/high heat bring to boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 mins. Cool a little and put into blender with cilantro and lime juice, blend away, salt to taste, and enjoy some GREAT salsa verde!

Note: you can also pre roast your chiles and tomatillos for a different flavour – reduce the boiling time to a few minutes if you try this variation.

Oups, I forgot to mention the radicchio! You can add to salads, pasta dishes, risottos, or try this recipe:

Crostini with Radicchio and Apple 

1 radicchio, cut in thin stripes
1 shallot/onion, chopped
1 apple, diced
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Sautee shallot/onion and apple in oil for a few minutes. Add radicchio, honey, salt and pepper and cook until wilted. Add the balsamic vinegar, mix well and spread on freshly toasted Italian bread.

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