I’ve recently discovered that there really is life beyond salsa for the lowly tomatillo.

The other day I found myself with some golden cherry tomatoes which really had to be made a part of a meal before it was too late.  I happened to check out the crisper drawer in the refrigerator at just about the same time.  Down at the bottom I found three tomatillos I had completely forgotten I had, having neglected to register them on my critical kitchen perishables list the day I had brought them home from Bill Maxwell’s stand at the Greenmarket several weeks earlier.

[Note to all shoppers:  I’m finding that Maxwell’s (Mondays at Union Square) can mean virtually one-stop shopping – and talking to good folks too.]

I was about to throw the tomatillos in the garbage, but I decided to check them out first.  I knew almost nothing about the vegetable, including how long they could be stored and where they should be stored.  I cut a thin slice and discovered perfect bliss.  It looked like jade and it tasted like candy.

I had been trying to come up with for something which would complement grilled swordfish with a Salmoriglio sauce and some braised red kale.  Maybe it was the thought of combining the two colors more than anything else that inspired the salad which I assembled from the tomatoes and the tomatillos, but it totally hit the mark.   By chance I had some fresh lovage, also picked up at Maxwell’s stand, although more recently, and as I’ll put lovage on just about anything, I hardly had to think for a second before I added the leafy herb to the mix.

Here’s the real deal:

Thinly slice some ripe tomatillos and cut some ripe golden cherry tomatoes in half, combine with a liberal amount of chopped lovage, some good olive oil, a bit of fresh lemon juice, salt and, ideally, pink peppercorns (I love pink peppercorns and watch for any opportuity where they might shine), although black or white pepper will do just fine.  Enjoy.