July 23, 2023
Still New Things Coming
by Linda Dansbury

Derek's email to me last week after I had finished working on the newsletter was that Dana found a nice surprise - the tomatillos were ready to harvest. If you aren't familiar with them, here is a bit of info:

Tomatillos are in the same family as tomatoes, eggplant and peppers and in fact look like a small green tomato with a funny husk on them. They are a great source of dietary fiber and are low in fat content. They’re also a good source of vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, niacin, potassium, manganese, and magnesium. Ripe tomatillos keep refrigerated for about two weeks. They keep longer with the husks removed and the fruit refrigerated in sealed plastic bags. They may also be frozen whole or sliced. Tomatillos can be eaten raw or cooked. They can be chopped and added to salads and are best known raw or cooked in salsa verde. This site has a lot of recipes to try: Salsa Verde, Charred Okra and Tomatoes (or Tomatillos), Chicken Stew with Tomatillo Sauce, Slow Cooker Chicken or Pork Chile Verde and more!

Okra is another lesser known and under used veggie. It is traditionally used in Gumbo and in African cuisine. Okra is a good source of fiber, vitamins and minerals and is delicious pan fried or sauteed and stewed. It does not store for more than a week in the fridge so use it up quickly. A few delicious ways to use it that are found on this site are Easy Indian-style Stewed Okra, Okra and Green Beans and Louisiana Shrimp Gumbo (which also uses celery).