New Jersey gardens: Weight Watchers recipes inspire tomatillo planting (2024)

Tomatillos are a staple at my local produce store, but I have yet to try them in my own kitchen.

That will change in the very near future, however, with an increasing number of recipes offering ways to use this tomato-relative beyond chopping it up for salsas.

One of my favorite recently published cookbooks, "Weight Watchers One Pot," includes four recipes using tomatillos. There are tomatillos in a citrus sauce that accompanies crispy oven-fried chicken breasts; a chicken enchillada casserole, and the salsa that tops a vegetarian tortilla casserole.

But I think the best way to try tomatillos for the first time is in the cookbook's summery chicken gazpacho salad (recipe below). It offers those who are unfamiliar with the tomatillo's flavor an opportunity to experience it uncooked and with less serious competition from other ingredients.

Pronounced "to ma TEE yo," the firm fruit grows in a papery green wrapper that turns from green to tan when the are overly ripe. Tomatillos are sometimes called Mexican green tomatoes, or husk tomatoes because of the outer skin. They are a frequent addition to salsas for their somewhat citrusy, bright, piquant flavor. Tomatillos are available year round and can be eaten raw or cooked.

Select tomatillos that are firm, bright green beneath the somewhat open husk and free of blemishes and dark spots. They become sweeter as they ripen, which usually isn't desired for salsas where tomatillos usually add acidity, but it could be great in a salad.

According to the Weight Watchers cookbook: "The easiest way to husk a tomatillo is to hold it under cool running water while peeling off the husk. Be sure to rub the outside of the tomatillo until any residual stickiness is washed away."

In certain parts of New Jerey, tomatillos can be difficult to find. They are usually sold at better-stocked produce stores, supermarkets and gourmet markets. Most frequently, they are found at stores that specialize in Latin-American groceries.

In his recent cookbook "Tacos, Tortas and Tamales," chef Roberto Santibanez offers numerous salsas. A green mole has tomatillos, pumpkin seeds, onions, garlic, chiles and spices. Several of the cookbook's numerous salsa recipes include tomatillos -- raw or oven-roasted -- then blended with galic, various chiles and other ingredients.

His recipe for avocado-tomatillo salsa from the book: Combine a

half-pound of husked and rinsed tomatillos

(5 or 6) in a small pot with

3 fresh serrano or jalepeno chiles

. Add enough water to cover (they'll float; that's fine). Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatillos are khaki-colored and soft to the core. Gently drain the water and discard. Combine the tomatillos and chiles in a blender with

one small peeled garlic clove

and

1-1/4 teaspoons of kosher salt

. Pulse until you have a coarse puree. Pour the mixture into a serving bowl, let cool slightly, then stir in

1/2 cup of finely chopped onion

,

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

, and

one small ripe Mexican Hass avocado

, pitted, peeled and chopped in 1-inch chunks.

Growing tomatillos

At this point in the season, gardeners can grow tomatillos from seedling plants. Representatives for Bonnie Plants tell me that the company has included tomatillo plants in its delivery of seedlings this week to Home Depot, Lowe's and Wal-Mart stores in New Jersey. The 5-inch plants are expected to sell for under $4 each.

The Bonnie Plants web page about growing tomatillos is worth consulting by anyone who has planted or is planning to grow this fruiting vine with charming yellow flowers. First tip: you'll need at least two plants to get fruit. Cross-pollination is required here, and the flowers are said to be quite attractive to bees and other pollinating creatures so important to the garden. Gardeners also can ask questions online at the Bonnie website. Answers come promptly, and the list of tomatillo questions and answers itself includes lots of useful growing information.

Tomatillos also can be grown from seed, but it's too late to do so this year. Like tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, tomatillos have a long growing season and need to be started indoors to have time to produce fruit. To plan for next year, Burpee includes organic varieties in traditional green and an exciting purple among its four options that sell for $3.95 or $4.95 per packet.

And if you try growing from seed next year, Chelsey Fields, vegetable product manager for Burpee, advises that tomatillo seeds will take longer to germinate than tomatoes, peppers or eggplants, which typically show in seven to 10 days.

"They can take three weeks," she says of tomatillos. "Giving them some bottom heat can help."

With the rising interest in culinary gardening, vegetables, including tomatillos, have been gaining interest," Fields says. "Tomatillos lend themselves to a lot of things. They are a pretty good class for us."

Tomatillo recipes

The "Weight Watchers One Pot Cookbook" (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $29.99) is highly recommended. Beyond the previously mentioned tomatillo recipes, its offerings allow cooks with adventurous palates to sample recipes influenced by numerous cultures using less-common ingredients that are nevertheless easy to find.

And, of course, the ease is in recipes that are prepared in a bowl, skillet, wok, saucepan, Dutch oven, casserole dish, slow-cooker or baking pan. Options like lobster mac and cheese, French-style beef stew, shrimp and kielbasa jambalaya (with a side of whole okra) and raspberry cheesecake cups have flavor that belies their lean take on fats and calories.

You can try making chicken mole or posole, a stew (with cheddar, scallions and cilantro) based on hominy, super-size corn kernels that have been soaked in an alkali to remove the hull. Other options: a red curry tofu-noodle bowl, or bibimbap, a Korean mixed rice dish topped with sirloin steak and vegetables. In all there are dishes that draw from China, Italy, Thailand, Morocco, France, Mexico, India, Ireland, Vietnam and regional American cuisines (Cincinnati Four-Way Chili, Low-Country gumbo). Classics like the filet mignon and mushroom stroganoff add to numerous options that will excite weight watchers and those who dine with them. The book has nutrition information for each recipe, Points Plus values and healthy-eating tips.

Chicken & tomatillo enchilada casserole
6 servings

2-1/2 pounds tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and chopped

1 cup chopped scallions (about 4 scallions)

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced

2 large garlic cloves, minced

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

2-1/2 cups shredded cooked skinless chicken breast

12 tablespoons shredded reduced fat Mexican cheese blend

12 tablespoons fat-free sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

2. Puree half of tomatillos in food processor. Stir together chopped tomatillos, pureed tomatillos, scallions, cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, salt, and black pepper in large shallow bowl.

3. Dip both sides of 1 tortilla in tomatillo mixture. Place tortilla on sheet of foil on work surface; top with about 3 tablespoons of chicken, ½ tablespoon of cheese, and 1 tablespoon of sour cream. Fold two opposite sides of tortilla over to enclose fi lling. Place enchilada, seam side down, in prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas, chicken, cheese, and sour cream, making total of 12 enchiladas. Pour remaining tomatillo mixture over enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining 6 tablespoons cheese.

4. Cover baking dish with foil. Bake 20 minutes; uncover and bake until edges of enchiladas begin to brown and cheese is melted, about 10 minutes longer. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition information (per serving): 390 calories, 9g fat (3g saturated) no trans fat, 78mg cholesterol, 589mg sodium, 44g carbs, 6g sugars, 5g fiber, 33g protein

-- From "Weight Watcher's One Pot Cookbook" (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $29.99)

Mexican gazpacho chicken salad with tomatillos
6 servings

Grated zest and juice of 1 lime

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

2 pounds tomatoes, coarsely chopped

6 tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and chopped

1 large red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch dice

½ English (seedless) cucumber, cut into ½-inch dice

¼ red onion, sliced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

3 cups sliced cooked skinless chicken breast

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. To make dressing, whisk together lime zest and juice, garlic, oil, salt, and black pepper in large bowl.

2.Add all remaining ingredients except chicken and cilantro to dressing; toss until mixed well. Divide vegetable mixture evenly among 6 plates or large shallow bowls. Top each serving with ½ cup of chicken; sprinkle with cilantro.

Nutrition information (per serving): 286 calories, 8g fat (2g saturated) no trans fat, 89mg cholesterol, 529mg sodium, 18g carbs, 11g sugars, 6g fiber, 36g protein

-- From "Weight Watcher's One Pot Cookbook" (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $29.99)