Flavor of tomatillo adds kick to a salsa

A member of the prolific nightshade family that includes potatoes, peppers and eggplants, tomatillo means "little tomato."

It resembles a small, green tomato, but like its cousin, the cape gooseberry, it's enclosed in a papery husk.

Other names include jamberry, Mexican husk tomatoes, tamates and tomate verde.

The tomatillo (tohm-ah-TEE-oh) hails from Mesoamerica, was widely cultivated by the Aztecs and still grows wild from southern Texas to the highlands of Guatemala.

Today, it also is grown in India, South Africa and Australia.

It has long been a mainstay of the Mexican diet, where it has used extensively in salsas, guacamole and dishes such as enchiladas with salsa verde.

If you expect tomatillos to taste like tomatoes, you're in for a surprise.

The tomatillo is tart with citrus overtones. As the fruit ripens, it bursts from its husk and takes on a yellowish color.

Choose specimens that are firm and evenly colored with dry, snug husks.

Mexican food authority Rick Bayless recommends the variety with a purplish blush, but to get them, you might have to grow them yourself.

To use, remove husks and wash off the sticky residue. A little dishwashing soap helps, but you'll need to rinse thoroughly. Tomatillos can be used raw, but roasting intensifies flavor.

To roast, cut them in half and place cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Slide them directly under the broiler.

By the time you turn your back (about 5 minutes), they'll be blackened and ready to be used in salsas or for a sauce to smother enchiladas.

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