Tomatillos are a very special fruit / vegetable (you know, that no man’s land of classification, like the tomato). I think of them as lemony tomatoes, and although they are traditionally used in Mexican cooking, I think they can transcend to any style of cooking were you want that tart little punch.

I chose to use our 8 little fresh tomatillos in a black bean / corn salad that I whipped up and served alongside Southwestern rubbed salmon. It was an easy meal to prepare (yeah, I used a premade rub for the fish, but I’m still able to sleep at night) and was a hit with the young and old in our family.

Black Bean, Corn and Tomatillo Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups corn kernels
• 1 cup chopped tomatillos (about 8 fresh)
• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• 3/4 cup chives
• 1 avocado, chopped

For the dressing:

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• sea salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Variations:

• If I had some, I definitely would have added 2-3 tablespoons of fresh chopped cilantro.
• If you don’t have to cater to a 4-year-old, some chopped fresh jalepeno or even some red pepper flakes would add a nice kick to this dish.