Fresh Salsa Verde

October. Mid-October. The trees at full color. Tuesday a wind came through and stripped half of them in a day. Wednesday morning the sidewalks were ankle-deep in yellow leaves. Lucas walked through them on his way to school and kicked them. Jenny sent a video. Lucas was laughing. I watched the video four times.

Tuesday food bank: pumpkin sancocho. I had been wanting to try it. The pumpkin came in at the bodega — calabaza, the small round Caribbean pumpkin with the green skin — and I made a soup with chunks of pumpkin and meat and corn and potatoes. The line came through. Mr. Patterson said, "Mrs. Carmen, this is autumn in a bowl." I said, "Mr. Patterson, you are getting poetic in your old age." He said, "Mrs. Carmen, sixty-five next year. Old age." I said, "Mr. Patterson, sixty-five is not old age." He said, "Mrs. Carmen, my mother died at sixty-six." That stopped me. I said, "Mr. Patterson, your mother died young. You will not." He said, "Mrs. Carmen, I will see." We stood. The line moved. We worked.

Wednesday La Cocina cohort 2 week six: pasteles. Same prep-stage as last cohort. The class enjoyed it. The students wrapped pasteles. The smell filled the kitchen. Hector said, "Mrs. Carmen, this smells like every winter of my new life." I said, "Hector, your new life started when?" He said, "Six months ago when I signed up for this class." I had not realized. I did not press. I said, "Hector, the new life smells like pasteles. That is the right new life."

Friday Sofía came over. She had been thinking about her future. She said, "Ma, I have been talking to Alex." I said, "Mija, who is Alex?" She said, "Ma, the paramedic from work. I told you about him in August." I said, "Mija, I do not remember." She said, "Ma, you said 'Mija, focus on your studies.' That is what you said." I said, "Mija, I said that?" She said, "Yes." I said, "Mija, what about Alex?" She said, "Ma, we have been seeing each other for two months. Slowly. Casually. He is good. He is from East Hartford. He is twenty-six. He went to community college and then paramedic school. He has been working at Hartford Hospital for three years. We met in a shift change when he brought in a patient." I said, "Mija, that is interesting." She said, "Ma, do not get excited. We are seeing each other." I said, "Mija, I am not excited. I am noted." She laughed. We will see. Wepa.

The week left me thinking about what goes alongside things—what you pour over the new life, what you set on the table next to the sancocho so it has somewhere to land. This salsa verde is that thing. I taught it in cohort 1 before I even had the words for why it mattered: it is tart and green and alive, it wakes up everything it touches, and you can make it in five minutes while the pasteles are still steaming. Mr. Patterson asked me what autumn tastes like. Hector told me what a new life smells like. I think salsa verde is what both of those things look like on a plate.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 5 min | Total Time: 15 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 lb tomatillos, husked and rinsed
2 jalapeño or serrano peppers, stems removed (seed for less heat)
3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1/2 medium white onion, roughly chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, packed
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons water, as needed to thin

Instructions

Char the aromatics. Heat a dry cast-iron skillet or comal over medium-high heat. Add the tomatillos, peppers, and unpeeled garlic. Cook, turning occasionally, until the tomatillos are softened and lightly charred in spots, about 5–7 minutes. The skins will blister and the tomatillos will release some juice.
Peel and cool. Remove from heat. Peel the garlic cloves once cool enough to handle. Let everything rest 3–4 minutes so the blender doesn’t steam-explode on you.
Blend. Transfer the tomatillos, peppers, and peeled garlic to a blender. Add the onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and cumin. Pulse 8–10 times for a chunky salsa, or blend fully for smooth. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time if needed to reach your preferred consistency.
Taste and adjust. Taste for salt and lime. The salsa should be bright, slightly smoky, and just enough heat that you feel it after the swallow. Adjust as needed.
Rest before serving. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes so the flavors settle and marry. Serve alongside pasteles, sancocho, grilled meats, eggs, or anything that needs waking up.

Nutrition (per serving)

Fresh Salsa Verde — The Sauce That Lives in Every Latin Kitchen, and in Every New Life