Roasted Tomatillo / Tomato Sauces

I’d never worked with tomatillos until this weekend, and I think they’re going to become a new staple around here.

I managed to pick up all of my “San Miguel at Home” produce, including tomatillos, at Emporium Latino (243 Augusta Avenue, in Kensington Market).  And somehow I got out of the shop without picking up a pupusa… my only self-defense was having lunch right before I went shopping.

The tomatillos needed to be husked and washed before I could cook them.  Once the prep work was done, I halved each one, and drizzled a little olive oil over top and sprinkled them with dried oregano.

Once roasted, I ended up with tomatillos that tasted even more tomato-y than tomatoes!  Amazing!

I then added a pinch of salt and gave them a quick blitz in the blender.

I tasted the tomatillos to see what I should add.  And you know what?  They were so perfect the way they were that I didn’t add a thing.  Somehow they were lemony and fresh and savory all at the same time, and I didn’t want to dilute the flavour of the tomatillos.  They hit the perfect “sauce spot” for me, and so I left them as they were.  Voila!  The simplest roasted tomatillo sauce.

I did a little bit more with the Roasted Tomato Sauce.  After halving all of the plum tomatoes so I could dice them for fresh salsa, I had a little nibble and was disappointed (but not surprised at this time of year) to see they had no flavour.  So into the oven they went, and they actually ended up tasting like something!

So I stuck the roasted tomatoes in the blender with some diced onion and cilantro, and ended up with a roasted tomato salsa.

The perfect accompaniment to my quesadillas and tortilla wraps — and honestly, I could eat these all day with just tortilla chips.  I may never need store-bought salsa again!

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

• 12 tomatillos, husked, washed, and halved
• 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. dried oregano

Preheat oven to 375F.

Place tomatillos cut-side-up on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and oregano.  Roast at 375F for 35-40 minutes, or until tender.

Blitz tomatillos in a blender.  Do not over-blend, if the seeds get crushed the consistency won’t be terribly nice.

Serve at room temperature (or chill and serve cold) and enjoy!

Roasted Tomato Salsa

• 8 plum tomatoes, halved and seeded
• 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. cracked black pepper
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 handful fresh cilantro, diced

Preheat oven to 375F.

Place tomatoes cut-side-up on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast at 375F for 30 minutes, or until tender.

Gently pulse tomatoes, onions, and cilantro in a blender.  Go slowly so that you still get a chunky texture, rather than a smooth sauce.  You may need to strain the mixture as some extra moisture will come out of the tomatoes.

Serve at room temperature (also tastes great cold the next day).