Fresh Tomatillo and Chipotle Salsa

Makes about 4 cups Preparation Time: 10 minutes Can be made up to 5 days ahead without the optional cheese and avocado, covered, and refrigerated

Talk about a magical ingredient! When used raw, tomatillos lend a considerably different character to a dish than when cooked: they’re crisper, of course, but they’re also more tart, with a punchy, clean flavor.

In this recipe, the smoky-sweet heat from the chipotles in adobo can be adjusted to your taste. Use just the sauce from the chipotles for a hint; for a bit more heat, add the chile without the seeds; and to really ramp it up, drop in the entire chile, including the seeds.

This salsa makes a great accent for grilled meats, fish, or chicken. Add diced avocado and cubes of cheese and you’ll have a to-die-for appetizer along with a bowl of Tortilla Chips.

• 1 pound tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed, and halved
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped white onion
• ¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves and top part of stems
• 1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce (optional), seeded if desired, plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
• ¾ teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt, or to taste
• 1 large ripe Hass avocado, halved, pitted, meat scooped out, and diced (optional)
• 2 cups diced queso fresco, Cotija, farmer cheese, or mild feta (about 8 ounces; optional)

1. Combine the tomatillos, garlic, onion, cilantro, chipotle chile (if using), adobo sauce, and salt in a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth; it will be soupy.
2. Transfer the salsa to a serving bowl. Stir in the avocado and cheese, if desired. Taste, adjust the salt if needed, and serve.

Tomatillos are underappreciated. I don’t think I have met more than a handful of people in the Washington, D.C., area who have cooked with them. People love salsa verde, but they don’t realize that the base of that addictive salsa is this shiny green cousin of the tomato. A bit less juicy and firmer than tomatoes, with a unique tart taste, tomatillos go beautifully with the spicy, sweet, and layered flavors of Mexican cooking. They are readily available in grocery stores all across the United States.

Tomatillos are covered with papery husks, which must be removed. The fruit is a bit waxy and sticky and can have a musty smell from the moisture trapped between the fruit and the husk. Don’t judge a book by its cover: Just remove the husks and give the fruit a quick rinse, and you will have shiny green gems.

When you buy tomatillos, peek inside the husks to confirm that the fruit is firm and bright green, not wrinkled or discolored. The husks should be papery and dry, not wet, but don’t worry if they stick to the fruit a bit. Tomatillos will keep in the refrigerator for up to 10 days if they are fresh.