Potato, Poblano, and Chard Enchiladas with Raw and Roasted Salsa Verde

As I researched salsa verde recipes I saw two basic variations, one using raw tomatillos and the other using roasted tomatillos. Beyond that, and perhaps the ratio of chiles to tomatillos to cilantro, most of the recipes were nearly identical. As I thought about how to make this recipe my own, I decided that with equal numbers of recipes for raw salsa verde and roasted salsa verde, they must both be good – why not build in an extra layer of flavor and make a raw and roasted version? That was a good starting point, and yielded a salsa verde that was both tangy and a little sweet. For the enchilada filling, I grabbed a few potatoes out of the large bag we harvested last week and boiled them, then cooked them briefly with garlic, swiss chard, and diced roasted poblano. The potato-poblano filling gets rolled up in tortillas, smothered with salsa verde, and sprinkled with grated pepper jack, before a brief stint in the oven that yields crispy tortilla edges, golden-brown cheese, and steaming hot filling. I ate way too much of this in one sitting, but managed to save a little bit of leftovers (that I’m very much looking forward to for lunch tomorrow). It’s perfect on a chilly night – warm and filling but full of veggies!

Potato, Poblano, and Chard Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

Serves 4-5.

• 2 poblano peppers
• 1 1/2 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• sea salt
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1/4 c. diced onion
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 bunch of swiss chard (about 15-20 medium-sized leaves)
• Eight 8-inch tortillas
• 1 1/2 c. raw and roasted salsa verde, recipe below
• 1 c. shredded pepper jack cheese
• 1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat the broiler and line a baking sheet with foil. Place the poblano peppers on the baking sheet and broil for 10-15 minutes, turning with tongs every 5 minutes, until blistered and blackened all over. If you are making the salsa verde at the same time, do this while broiling the tomatillos. When the peppers are done, remove them from the oven and place in a bowl, then cover with plastic wrap and let steam for 20 minutes. After they have steamed, you will be able to easily peel and discard their skins. Do this, then cut into slices, discarding the stem and seeds. Chop roughly and taste for heat to get an idea of how much you should use in your filling.
2. Add the diced potatoes to a large pot and fill with cold water. Add salt to water and bring to a boil. Boil the potatoes until just tender when poked with a fork, about 5 minutes once the water has reached a boil. Drain and set aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, sliced garlic, and smoked paprika and saute, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Roughly chop the stems of the swiss chard and add to the saute pan, then chop the leaves add add to the pan as well. Saute until wilted, about 3 minutes, then add the potatoes and chopped poblanos (start with one, add the second after tasting the mixture for heat). Saute for 2-3 minutes, then remove from the heat.
4. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spread half a cup of salsa verde on the bottom of an 11×13 inch roasting pan. Mix the two cheeses together in a bowl. Fill each of the tortillas with a few spoonfuls of the potato filling, and 2-3 TBS of cheese, then roll up and place seam-side down in the pan. Repeat with all tortillas, filling pan completely, then spoon another half cup of salsa verde over the top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, then bake until cheese is bubbly and golden and edges of tortillas are crispy, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and serve with leftover salsa verde.

Raw and Roasted Salsa Verde

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

• 1 lb. tomatillos
• 1-2 serrano chiles
• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
• 1/4 c. fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 c. water
• 1 TBS fresh lime juice
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

1. Preheat the broiler and line a baking sheet with foil. Remove the husks and stem from the tomatillos and wash the sticky residue off the fruit. Cut the tomatillos in half. Place half of the tomatillos cut side down on the baking sheet. Set the other half aside. If using two chiles, place one of the serranos on the baking sheet as well. Broil the tomatillos and chile for 8-10 minutes, flipping over with tongs once about halfway through. Remove from the oven.
2. Add the roasted tomatillos and their juices to a blender, then add the raw tomatillos, onion, garlic, cilantro, water, lime juice, and salt. If you like your food spicy, remove the stem from the roasted serrano and add to the blender, then remove the stem from the raw serrano, roughly chop and add to the blender with the seeds. If you prefer a milder salsa, remove the seeds from the raw serrano, chop, and add to the blender. After blending, taste and decide whether to add the roasted serrano. Blend the tomatillos on high until a smooth puree forms. Taste, and add additional chile, lime, or salt if desired. Set aside.