Dear Community Agriculture Supporters,

Today's share should include:

5 or 6 Chantenney Carrots (great for making golden dollars)

A medium red arrowhead oakleaf lettuce

8 collard leaves (large enough to do a fan dance with)

A small to medium cabbage

A few large to small cucumbers ( a few of you got lemon cucumbers, globe shaped white to yellow)

A pound of tomatillos

Farm shares have 2 pounds of romanesco broccoli, some have ordinary broccoli too.

Town shares have one to a few large to small zucchini.

WHAT'S A TOMATILLO?  For the uninitiated a tomatillo is a relative of the tomato found in Mexican green salsa and sauces.  It is not spicey, but has a sweet-tart flavor more intense than a tomato.  It is usually cooked, but we have found that very ripe ones (yellow skin with perhaps a tinge of purple) are good used like a tomato in a salad.

Tomatillos have a papery husk that you remove before eating.  They also have a natural waxy coating under the on the skin of the fruit that is usually rinsed off.

You can make a green salsa with tomatillos, onions, garlic, chiles, cilantro and salt.  Boil some cleaned tomatillos until their skins appear transluscent, then drain.  Chop other ingredients and then throw all in a blender.  We'll offer a more precise recipe later in the season.

A green enchilada sauce is similar with the addition of some chopped romaine leaves and some chicken broth, and the whole sauce is simmered.

If we overwhelm you with tomatillos: 1) they will keep several weeks at room temperature, and 2) you can throw them raw, husks and all in a paper bag in the freezer, and they will keep all winter.  Just remove desired quantity, rinse and husk and proceed with recipe.

PAT'S WIFE'S COLLARDS AND CABBAGE.  A fellow vendor at a little North Portland market several years ago used to buy collards from us every week.  He touted his wife's recipe.  Chop equal amounts of collards and cabbage, saute some garlic and chiles in oil, add greens and saute until tender, squeeze some lemon juice over them and serve.