Tomatillo Relish

I had a couple of tomatillos left over, and I thought they'd make a great relish topping for hot dogs. (if you're unfamiliar with tomatillos, have a look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomatillo) I was surprised at how delicious it turned out, so I thought I'd share it with you.

Tomatillo Relish

• 1 large-sized tomatillo (about tennis-ball size), or two smaller ones
• 1 jalapeno chili pepper, OR 1 red cherry pepper
• 1/2 a medium-sized onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp olive oil (approximately)
• 1/2 tsp celery seed
• 1 TBS fresh cilantro (or parsley), chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Start by finely chopping the tomatillo, chili pepper, onion and garlic. A food processor will work, but please don't let the vegetables process into a paste...you want some little chunks in there!

Add the chopped vegetables to a container with a tight-fitting lid. A plastic food-storage container is perfect, as the relish will be stored in it! Add the remaining ingredients, and put the lid onto the container. Shake and swirl the container to thoroughly mix the ingredients. That's it, you're done.

Let the mixture rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour before using, to allow the flavors to blend. Immediately before serving, give the container another shake. Use to top hot dogs and burgers, or add it to a sandwich. Makes about 1 cup.

Happy Two Years!

Hi everyone.

Can you believe it's been two years since I began this Blog? Frankly, so can I.

It's getting to be Barbecue Season again...around here, it actually never stopped. Last weekend, in honor of Memorial Day, I threw some burgers and thick-cut vegetables on the grill. Nothing fancy, we just wanted to kick back with simple food and a few cold beers. Mission accomplished.

Last night, I was in the mood to grill some hot dogs. Good quality hot dogs are difficult to improve upon; without naming names, I use a popular Kosher variety. But of course, you can go completely nuts with the toppings. I decided to make use of some bits-n-pieces I had left over from other recipes. I'll post it separately here, and also over at my Barbecue For Real Blog (http://bbqforreal.blogspot.com).