TOMATILLOS STAR IN 5 DISHES BEYOND GREEN SALSA.

The versatile but underused ingredient shines in unexpected ways

South Texas loves its salsa verde, but when it comes to using tomatillos in our kitchens, that’s often where the ride ends.

Well, no more, we say. The tomatillo is a flavorful, versatile ingredient that is affordable, abundant and easy to find in nearly all area grocery stores. We’re giving them the love they deserve in a quintet of recipes that go well beyond salsa.

Now, despite the similar sounding name, a tomatillo is not, in fact, a tomato. They’re both members of the large nightshade family that includes a huge number of common vegetables such as potatoes, eggplants, peppers, okra and more. But tomatillos are much more closely related to cape gooseberries than tomatoes.

Tomatillos are native to Mexico and naturally lend themselves to dishes with other flavors beloved across Texas. They also make respectable stand-ins in many dishes where green tomatoes are used.

Fried green tomatillos are a good place to start. Fried green tomatoes, a staple of the Deep South, are often served with a creamy ranch-style dressing. When tomatillos are swapped in

and that creamy dressing becomes a chipotle crema, this once-Southern dish is suddenly Mexican-inspired satisfaction.

Tomatillos retain a good bit of moisture and can create a soggy mess when used in savory pies or flatbreads. A similar approach to the way we salt eggplants can remedy this problem considerably. Tossing the tomatillo slices in salt and letting them rest for 10 to 20 minutes can mean the difference between a satisfying dinner and an inedible disaster.

We put that technique to practice in a savory cheese-and-chile-stuffed tomatillo pie and a pizza-like flatbread topped with chorizo, cheese and pickled onions. Both showcase how the tomatillo’s tangy, lemony acidity can soften into a sweeter flavor and how the fruit’s flesh can become smooth and creamy.

Raw tomatillos rarely show up on our plates, and that’s a shame. They have a pleasant texture similar to a watermelon, with a gentle crunch of skin. In fact, those two go great together in our recipe for a simple salad alongside cucumber, red onion and radish with a simple lemon juice dressing.

Now, a word about prepping tomatillos. They’re loosely wrapped in husks and fairly sticky, so tomatillos are frequently speckled with debris when purchased. To clean them, peel off the husks and give them a good rub under running water. You won’t be able to remove all the stickiness, and that’s fine, but you’ll certainly be able to eliminate all the debris.

And, of course, if you’re ever in doubt with what to do with a bumper crop of tomatillos, there’s always pickles. After swimming in an herby brine for a couple days, tomatillos become the perfect midday snack or bloody mary garnish.

And in next week’s Taste section, tomatillos will star in one of several recipes for cool and refreshing gazpachos.

Paul Stephen / Staff Tomatillo Watermelon Salad. Recipe, Page E4.