This year I have seen some of the most beautiful apples growing in Toronto. I have been blown away by their taste and how little bruising and pest damage they have had. However we do all occasionally come across a pick where the apples are less than perfect… much less than perfect. The almost universal response is always, “these will be great for applesauce”.

I love a good applesauce, but most often it is served as an accompaniment to other dishes. This made me wonder, when everybody is saying they’ll be making applesauce, what will they be enjoying it alongside? Will it be perogies, or might it be latkes, or will they mix it into a cake? Please add to the comments what you like to have with your applesauce, or maybe you just like straight applesauce!

Here is a recipe for a Tomatillo and Apple Salsa using applesauce. My partner and I grow the ingredients and produce this salsa to sell at the Stop’s Green Barns’ Farmers Market. This is a part of our market garden business called Footstep Organics, come by this weekend between 8am and 1pm and we will have some available to sample. I took a jar of this salsa along for a pick this past week so that some volunteers could snack while they glean.

Tomatillo and Apple Salsa

One Pint Tomatillo

One Jalapeno

One Small Onion

One Clove Garlic

Handful Cilantro

Four Table Spoons of Apple Sauce

Set a pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil. While waiting for water to boil clean the tomatillos. Remove paper and rinse under warm water. Add tomatillos to boiling water. Wait until the skin of the tomatillo turns slightly yellow. Remove from boiling water and run cold water over them.

To a blender add the boiled tomatillos, one diced onion, one diced clove of garlic, handful of cilantro, the apple sauce and as much jalapeno as you dare, add salt to taste. Serve over taco’s, burritos, grilled fish, fajitas or some highfalutin’ organic corn chips.

Here is a picture of our Tomatillo plants.