Green Enchilada Sauce

I can't believe I haven't talked about making green enchilada sauce yet! Every year, we grow tomatillos to make and freeze into this sauce. In the late spring, my husband and I negotiate how many plants to grow. I always propose 'LOTS' but my husband, ever the voice of reason, manages to convince me to exercise a bit of restraint -last year I think we bought four plants.

It doesn't matter how few plants we grow, we always end up with a bumper crop of tomatillos. And the next season, volunteer plants will continually be popping up all over in the area where the tomatillos were grown the year before. I make green sauce in late summer and early fall to freeze in 1 quart containers that we use all year round. I love it's bright, citrusy flavor that's especially welcome now, when it's still several months before we can expect any fresh produce from our garden. March can be particularly dreary, garden-food-wise as well as otherwise, and this green sauce is an uplifting reminder of the green and growing garden flavors of spring and summer.

Green Enchilada Sauce

In a large pot, place:

2 quarts peeled and washed tomatillos

4 quarts water

Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.

In two or three batches, put in blender with 3 c. cooking liquid and:

3 garlic cloves

1 1/2 c. cilantro leaves

1 onion, diced

Puree until smooth. Heat 2 T. oil in heavy-bottomed pot and add puree. Add 1/4 -1/2 t. salt and 1 t. sugar. Simmer 5 minutes.

Unlike when canning it, sauces that are frozen do not have to be exact. I don't really measure this when I'm making it, and sometimes I make huge batches and sometimes just a quart of it. Speaking of canning sauces, I was so excited to see this recipe, which can be made during canning's off-season, for making and canning red enchilada sauce (click here). Now, thanks to dandelion at Knit & Nosh (Thank-you, Thank-you, Thank-you!!!), I can make and store both green AND red enchilada sauces. How cool is that?

I mostly use my Green Enchilada Sauce to make enchiladas like these (click here), but it is also great in soups, and this amazing burrito filling (click here) with pork, black beans and rice.