Tomatillos: The “hot veggie” of summer 2010?

I love tomatillos for four primary reasons:

Number one, it’s always  the last thing to be harvested in my spring/summer garden. These things like to take their sweet time growing. Sort of like the favorite friend who always shows up late to your party because she took so long getting ready?  But you like her so much you’re glad she showed up at all? That’s how I feel about tomatillos.

Number two, it’s the basis of all Mexican salsa verde, and I love salsa verde. I’m gearing up to can some this evening.

Number three, it’s one of the only vegetable plants I can think of — aside from asparagus and rhubarb — that is A PERENNIAL. You plant it once and it grows anew every year.  Can’t say the same for those blasted tomatoes!! Speaking of tomatoes….

Number four, they’re just as juicy (if not a little more tart) than tomatoes, so they could work as an acceptable substitute in many tomato-based dishes, considering the crazy tomato blight that wiped out my tomato crop this year!

So I wonder why more people don’t grow tomatillos?  I, for one, plan to triple my crop next year.

In fact, I’m calling it right now:  Because of the blight, watch tomatillos become “the hot veggie” of summer 2010…or heck, September 2009!  I can see the New York Times Food&Wine cover story now. You heard it here first.