ottawa foodies

They are very easy to grow and do well in our climate. Hardy perenial which will come back for 2-3 years without much care.

Salmo

Tomatillo's are fairly easy to grow here. They are fairly prolific producers too. You can get seeds from Richter's. I've also seen them at Acorn Creek Garden Farm in the summer.

At Herb and Spice?

You can get fresh ones well realitively fresh ones on Wellington Street opposite side of street from Sasloves a block east.

can get cans of them cheap at the Little Latin America store in Chinatown next to the Anglican church

I do love Salsa Verdi
but also Puerco Chili Colorado

tomatillos
pork loin
white onions
cilantro stems
serrano chilis
chicken base (organic, msg free please)
lime juice
sea salt
copious amounts of black pepper

According to epicurious.com, they appear to be related, but not exactly the same:

DEFINITION FOR TOMATILLO:
This fruit, which is also called Mexican green tomato, belongs to the same nightshade family as the tomato. In fact, it resembles a small green tomato in size, shape and appearance except for the fact that it has a thin parchmentlike covering. The papery husk is a clue to the fact that the tomatillo is also related to the CAPE GOOSEBERRY. Although tomatillos can ripen to yellow, they are generally used while still green and quite firm. Their flavor has hints of lemon, apple and herbs. Tomatillos are popular in Mexican and Southwest cooking for use in a variety of dishes including GUACAMOLE and many sauces. They can be used raw in salads and SALSAS for a more acidic taste. The tomatillo is also called jamberry.

DEFINITION FOR GROUND CHERRY (AKA CAPE GOOSEBERRY:
Though this intriguing berry grows wild in many locations throughout the continental United States, it's generally cultivated in tropical zones such as Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India and China. At first glance the cape gooseberry (also called golden berry, ground cherry, physalis and poha ), with its inflated, papery skin (calyx), looks somewhat like a Chinese lantern. The bittersweet, juicy berries that hide inside the calyx are opaque and golden in color. Because of their piquant aftertaste, cape gooseberries go nicely with meats and other savory foods. They're wonderful in pies, jams and all by themselves.

Are tomatillos and ground cherries the same thing? Or do they just look similar?

Chels,

Tomatillo are DIRT EASY to grow! I bought seeds years ago, and got more than I bargained for. EVERY YEAR since, they have come back (from the unpicked fruit that I left on the plant). If you have a garden, and like Tomatillos, don't pay $5/lb... just grow them!

I've bought these from one of the produce markets in Byward. I can't remember the name of the market though. It's the one on the same side of the street as Saslove, where they have all sorts of exotic fruits and veggies. Anybody know the name of this place?

I bought tomatillos here last weekend to make salsa verde. I was happy to find them in Ottawa; however, at $5.95 a pound they were quite pricey (they run about $2/pound at home in Chicago, which is understandable, as there is more demand). The other disappointment was that quite a few of them were too underripe to use immediately. Given the husk, it was hard to tell this when purchasing but once peeled at home, they were a pale yellow color. In the future, I'd pull back the husk a bit while at the store to ensure what I'm purchasing is ripe.