Grilled Tomatillo Salsa

September is truly the golden month in Maine.
Still warm enough for boating or biking during the day.
Cool enough for a campfire or a cup of hot tea in the evening.

The farmers' markets are still in full swing.
Berries have given way to apples and Brussels sprouts (yay!) are the new zucchini.
And how about these sweet little peppers? Soooo cute.

This week I branched out a bit and bought some tomatillos.

"Why?" you might ask.
Because I've always wanted to and never have. And because I've had this recipe hanging around for awhile and it seemed like the right time to give it a try.
I hope you do too. It's tangy, spicy and smoky. Plus it's an excellent accompaniment to grilled chicken or fish.
I wouldn't mind it with some good tortilla chips either.

Grilled Tomatillo Salsa inspired by Rachel Ray


1/2 lb. tomatillos, husked and halved crosswise

1 small red onion, thickly sliced

1 fresh jalapeno, halved and seeded

1/2 tomato, preferably yellow, chopped

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. sugar

In a medium bowl, toss the tomatillos, onion and jalapeno halves with the vegetable oil and garlic. Season with salt. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat grill to high.
Remove vegetables from oil and grill until lightly charred. The tomatillos will cook much more quickly than the onion and jalapeno. Remove from the grill.
Chop all the vegetables and mix in a bowl with tomato, cilantro, lime juice, vinegar and sugar.

These Are a Few of Her Favorite Things

My first child was born on Mother's Day weekend 18 years ago. She is truly a gift.
So in honor of her big birthday, I had a little surprise party for her.

What do 18 year old girls like? What do they want to do? What do they want to eat?
I should know this by now. But just when you think you've got it figured out, they're on to something new.

Lucky for me she's always been pretty easy, even as a teenager and this was no exception.
I decided to go with all her tried and true favorites, the things she requests time after time.

My guacamole ...

Mango salsa from Whole Foods...

Hot dogs cooked over the backyard campfire!

And since the fire was already lit, we had to have s'mores...

I barely broke a sweat making these chocolate-covered strawberries...

She also loves these...

For entertainment, we had a big inflatable moon bounce - even (especially) for 18 year old girls!
A tarot card reader was also on hand to give them some serious advice about the future.

Birthday cake? I wish.
I'd love to make her a big chocolate layer cake, but she prefers her dad's old specialty - an ice cream pie, made with a Rice Krispie and melted chocolate crust, filled with mint chip ice cream.

Nothing fancy or complicated for this kid.
Like I said, she's easy.
Happy birthday sweetie!