“These will all take a week,” the man said. His wife frowned.

“We’ve been everywhere,” she said.

“Where have you been?” I asked. Suzen and I were at Adams Fairacres Market in Kingston, New York in search of avocados. Avocados that could be used the same day.

“We went to Sam’s Club and Walmart,” the husband said. “There are all these crates of fresh ones but nothing that can be used now.”

“Oh, dear,” Suzen said. She tugged at my sleeve. Her finger went to her mouth. I understood exactly what she meant. We were not going to tell anyone about our fallback: Hurley Ridge Market.

Which is where we found one, exactly one, ripe avocado. For the night’s party, we were to bring guacamole for fifteen. One avocado was going to make for slim portions.

But, we did have an ace in a hole. Another sauce, quite green, quite mellow, with a touch of avocado. This salsa is scrumptious on chips, and it pairs superbly with barbequed chicken or grilled fish.

We did not have the serrano chile called for here, but the poblano in our fridge was a noble substitute. We used our Vitamix, not a blender, when it came time to puree. The Vitamix was so powerful that we did not need the broth, which I believe left us with a much purer vegetable flavor.

Roasted Tomatillo and Cilantro Salsa [with Avocado, too]

Yield: 1 ½ cups

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pounds tomatillos, husked, rinsed and halved
• 2 small onions, outer skins removed and then halved
• 1 serrano chile, halved, stemmed, and seeded
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 head garlic, wrapped tightly in aluminum foil
• ½ cup chicken broth
• ½ avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and dice
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350⁰F.

Put the tomatillos, onions and serrano chile on a baking sheet, all cut side up. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Put the foil-wrapped garlic on the same baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes, or until the garlic and vegetables are soft and the edge of the vegetables are beginning to born. Let cool slightly.

Transfer the tomatillos, onion, and Serrano chile to a blender. Unwrap the garlic and squeeze the garlic cloves from their papery skins into the blender. Add the broth, and puree to a chunky texture.

This salsa can be made 1 day ahead up to this point. Just cool, cover, and refrigerate. The next day, the pectin in the tomatillos may have stiffened the salsa. Stir to loosen and add some liquid if necessary: water, lemon juice, lime juice.

Just before serving, fold the avocado and cilantro into the salsa and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sources: Fresh Mexico by Marcela Valladolid