Roasted Green Tomato Salsa with White Beans

As you all know, I  have a surplus of green tomatoes on the vine in my garden, which I see as an opportunity.  Instead of doing fried green tomatoes, (I never was very good at keeping the cornmeal coating on those slippery slices) I decided to try something new.  This is what I came up with:

Roasted Green Tomato Salsa with White Beans
Ingredients:
4-5 small green or under-ripe tomatoes 3/4" - 1" dice
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 poblano chile
a large handful cilantro
juice of 1 lime
1 can great northern or pinto beans
2 Tbsp. purple onion, finely diced

Broil the chile, turning it with tongs, until blistered on all sides. Allow it to cool. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss the tomatoes with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and salt and pepper and arrange in a single layer in a baking pan with sides. This gets juicy. Roast the tomatoes for 30 minutes. 

While tomatoes are roasting, peel and seed the chile and put it in a food processor or blender with lime juice, 1-2 Tbsp. more olive oil and beans. After the tomatoes are done roasting, allow them to cool for a couple of minutes and then carefully add them to the food processor. Process until fairly smooth. Once the mixture is no longer hot, add the cilantro and process again until smooth. Finally, pour the salsa into a bowl and stir in the onions. They are too pretty to mush up. Adjust seasoning to your liking.


This recipe may seem like a lot of effort for a salsa, but since I was working in the kitchen anyway on some other dishes, It was easy enough, and I think it was worth it for the unique flavor and the vitamin-protein punch of the ingredients. The poblano chile has a smoky richness that is not as sharp as a jalapeno chile, and it goes well with the tart flavor of the green tomatoes, which are slightly mellowed by their roasting, and further mellowed by the inclusion of the smooth, soft-skinned beans. This salsa would be great with any type of quesadilla or wrap, or just as a dip. Ole!