Mr. Lake's New Orleans Forum

For the past few years I have had these plants come up in my backyard. I didn't plant them, they just appear. They bear fruit and are very fast growing. I've never picked them because we've never eaten them before. But this year, I'm gonna pick them and try to find something to do with them. Any suggestions?

The obvious is to make salsa with them. Here is a link to food network with recipes

http://search.foodnetwork.com/food/reci ... ype=Recipe

Thank you, Bear. I've read over some of the recipes there and will have to adjust some of them cuz the hubster is allergic to cayenne. But that's no biggie, I've had to always do that anyway.

I have no clue whatsoever where this recipe came from, but it is on my computer. I have never made it, but I had good intentions to.

Green Enchiladas with Crabmeat

The sauce is the green part--not the crabmeat or the tortillas. These
are really tasty, and can be made not only with crabmeat but with
shrimp, crawfish, flaked white fish (flounder or sheepshead work very
well), or even chicken.

Sauce:
1 banana pepper, chopped
1 small hot chile pepper
2 fresh jalapeno peppers
1/2 cup chopped white onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
6 sprigs cilantro
12 tomatillos, husked and boiled 15 minutes
1 somewhat unripe avocado
1 Tbs. lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 Tbs. olive oil
12 small corn tortillas
1 lb. claw crabmeat
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Oil for frying

1. Remove stems, seeds, and internal membranes of all peppers,
and rinse.

2. Combine peppers, onion, avocado, garlic and cilantro in a food
processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Add tomatillos, lime juice, and
salt; process until smooth. Pour in chicken broth in a slow thin stream
while continuing to process.

3. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the
mixture in the food processor all at once. Bring to a boil, then reduce
to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes.

4. In a small skillet, heat a 1/8-inch deep layer of oil. Fry tortillas on
both sides until still just limp--just a few seconds on each side. Drain
on paper towels.

5. Blend the crabmeat and sour cream together.

6. Spread some of the tomatillo sauce on a fried tortilla. Spoon
about 2 Tbs. of the crabmeat filling across the middle of it, then roll it
up. Place the tortilla seam side down in a baking dish. Repeat until all
tortillas are filled.

7. Pour tomatillo sauce over enchiladas, making sure the sauce
leaks into the ends. Sprinkle cheese over all and bake in a 350-degree
oven for about 15 minutes--until cheese melts and begins to bubble.
Serve hot with sour cream and guacamole. Makes six appetizers or
four entrees.

Same with this one.

Shrimp Quesadillas With Tomatillo Salsa

Makes 1 cup of salsa and 30 quesadilla triangles

Shrimp Quesadillas

1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound medium shrimp, shelled, deveined and cut in half lengthwise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup green pepitas (toasted green pumpkin seeds)
1-1/2 teaspoons fresh marjoram, chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
4 ounces of cotija cheese, crumbled or grated (can substitute ricotta salata)
7 ounces of Monterey Jack, grated
3 to 5 tablespoons canola oil
6 large flour tortillas

Tomatillo Salsa

1/2 pound fresh green tomatillos, husked
1 clove garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons chopped red onions
1/2 serrano chile, seeded and coarsely chopped
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 bunch of cilantro, thick stems removed
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Cilantro leaves, for garnish

Quesadilla Filling/Shrimp: Combine the garlic and olive oil; let the flavor of the garlic permeate the oil for 10 minutes. Prepare the shrimp as specified above. Heat a ridged grill pan or outdoor grill. Brush the grill with canola oil. Toss the shrimp in the garlic olive oil then transfer to the hot grill. Cook through until bright pink, about 2 minutes. Transfer shrimp to a bowl. Season with the lemon juice, salt and pepper; set aside.

Quesadilla Filling/Other: In a bowl, combine the pepitas, marjoram, parsley and the grated/crumbled cheeses. Mix.

Assemble/Cook Quesadillas: Add 1 tablespoon of canola oil to a nonstick pan over medium heat. Lay a tortilla flat in the pan. Place some cheese and shrimp filling on top and cover with another tortilla. Cook for a few minutes until golden then turn and cook until toasty on the other side. Remove pan from heat.

Tomatillo Salsa: Husk the tomatillos and blanch them in boiling water for 15 seconds (only). Immerse them in a bowl with ice water to cool them. Remove the core from each tomatillo and puree them in a food processor. Add the garlic, chopped red onions, seeded serrano chile, lime juice, stemmed cilantro, sugar, olive oil and salt. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a bowl for serving with a small spoon and garnish with some cilantro.

Serve: To serve, cut each quesadilla into 8 triangles. Place on the serving platter, surrounding the salsa. Garnicsh with cilantro leaves.

Wow, that recipe sounds delicious. The best of all worlds. thanks, expat
Dawleen