Tomatillo Salsa Verde

Growing up we always had a choice of two kinds of salsa - a red tomato salsa which we made from scratch, and a salsa verde, or green salsa, which we got from a bottle (Victoria brand). As a kid I always thought that green salsa was made from green tomatoes, but actually it is made with a Mexican variation of a tomato, the tomatillo (pronounced "toe-mah-tee-yo"), which looks like a little green tomato covered with a husk. Here's a quick and easy recipe for making Salsa Verde. It's delicious!

1 1/2 pound tomatillos

1/2 cup white onion, chopped

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon sugar

2 jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped

salt to taste

1. Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Cut in half and place cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin.

2. Place tomatillos, lime juice, onions, cilantro, Jalapeño peppers, sugar in a food processor (or blender) and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed. Season to taste with salt. Cool in refrigerator.

Serve with chips or as a salsa accompaniment to Mexican dishes.

Makes 3 cups.