This week, we bid farewell to our little garden. It gave us a season of beautiful tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, and fresh herbs. We'll still be seeing CSA boxes through the middle of December, but the contents of the boxes will begin to transition from fresh, fragile vegetables to storable root vegetables and winter squash. Fall is definitely in the air.
But, before we put away all of our short-sleeved shirts and find our mittens, let's use some of that final harvest of summer produce to put together something green and a bit summery. A spicy, fun appetizer that combines a lot of green with tender shrimp and crunchy fried corn tortillas. If you wanted, you could also make a light meal out of these. I love versatile food!
Now, if you wanted to just make the ceviche, you could easily serve it with your favorite tortilla chips, too. In that case, I'd suggest using it as an appetizer. It would pair beautifully with a heartier dish like baked enchiladas. Make it a seasonally transitional meal by making your enchiladas with something like roasted pumpkin or winter squash. Add some course-appropriate wines and you've got yourself a beautiful dinner. See you next week!
Shrimp Verde Ceviche Tostadas
- 1 pound tomatillos -- husked, rinsed, and cut into big chunks
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 jalapeño pepper (or more for spicy) -- seeded and diced
- 1/3 cup sliced onion
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 pound shrimp -- peeled, cooked, and cut into chunks
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 6-8 corn tortillas
- Coarse salt, to taste
- 3-4 cups mixed greens
Using a blender, puree the tomatillos with the lime juice and olive oil. Add the jalapeño, onion, salt, and shrimp. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
Meanwhile, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat in a medium skillet. Carefully add the corn tortillas, one at a time, and fry for 1-2 minutes per side. Remove the slightly crisp tortillas to a plate lined with paper towels and sprinkle lightly with coarse salt.
To assemble the tostadas, place a fried corn tortilla on a serving plate and add about 1/2 cup of mixed greens on top of it. Top with a generous dollop of the ceviche. Serve immediately.
- Yields: 6-8 servings
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes