 I am not a good gardener. Which is why, after months of ignoring the side yard of my house, it became overrun with weeds. So I put on long sleeves and gloves (in case there was still some poison oak hanging out from last year), and started uprooting the weeds that were towering over my hostas. I almost jumped for joy when I noticed that the plants I was pulling out of the ground were tomatillos! I could not believe it. I stood back and looked around to see if any of my neighbors happened to be outside. I got close and inspected them again, and then stepped back in awe and wonder. How on earth could I end up with a tomatillo crop when I didn't even plant any seeds? I felt like I had struck gold. I can't adequately express how very much I love Mexican food. I'm not sure if I married a Mexican because I love the food so much (Bernie is also French, and French food is exquisite) or if I love Mexican food because I married a Mexican, but either way, I frequently crave tacos, fajitas, frijoles, huevos rancheros, guacamole, chips and salsa. And green salsa (made from tomatillos) is my favorite. I know a thing or two about tomatillos. I buy them and roast them with garlic, onions, and jalapeños to make green salsa for enchiladas, Staring at my newly discovered treasure, dreams of harvesting, roasting, and canning those tomatillos into salsa verde danced in my head. But I needed a second opinion. I called my husband out, and he excitedly assured me they were, in fact, tomatillos. He took photos and sent them to a couple of our gardening friends. They weren't entirely sure. Still looking for concrete answers, I turned to social media for research. Surely my Facebook friends would be able to clear this up one way or another! The responses were quite varied: "Nightshade family. Yes. Nightshade is poison. Be very careful. I wouldn't eat that." "I think this is a lantern plant." "There are wild tomatillo plants. That's what it looks like to me. But I could be wrong." "They are indeed tomatillos. I grow lots of them in my garden. Makes a great salsa!" "We had those and I thought it was a Chinese Lantern plant a/k/a strawberry ground cherry (according to one source)! 'The flowers, which are insignificant, produce small round berries that are poisonous when unripe, and edible (but not tasty) when mature. The 2-inch wide, papery pod, called a calyx, serves as protective cover over the flower and fruit.'-(from something on Google) Anyway, I'd for sure check it out before eating them!" "I think if you squeeze one you’ll find they’re hollow inside. Lol. But they’re cool! I have an app called “picture this” that identifies plants. I use it a lot in my yard." "I don’t know what the name of it is but it is not a tomatillo plant. Sorry! That would have been awesome!" "Maybe makes a good salad." "Ground cherries, sometimes called Chinese Lanterns. Pioneers crossing the Midwest plains were said to have eaten these, and Native Americans made jelly from them. Still be careful, as this plant is in the nightshade family which harbors toxins." "Nightshade family. Yes. Nightshade is poison. Be very careful. I wouldn't eat that." Umm, OK. We decided to use one of the identifier apps suggested to us, and we discovered - to my great disappointment - that this plant was not really a tomatillo plant after all. It's most likely a ground cherry or wild tomatillo plant, and it is NOT used for making green sauce for enchiladas.  After grieving the loss of my dreams, I've thought a bit about how dangerous it could be to listen to the well-intentioned opinions of others, and even follow our own instincts. We think we know what is right and true based on our limited knowledge and experiences. We think we can judge what is right and true based on appearances and our sometimes faulty perceptions. Perhaps the wisest five words offered above came from the Facebook friend who ended her opinion with "But I could be wrong." It can be dangerous - even deadly - to eat wild fruits and vegetables without knowing for sure if they are indeed safe to eat. It can also be dangerous - even deadly - for us spiritually and relationally to follow public opinion and even our own intuition in our quest to find what is right and true.   For me, the Bible is like the plant app Bernie and I used to find the answer to our tomatillo question. It is my source of truth. It is what informs my faith which informs how I think, believe, and live. If that sounds overly simplistic to you, let me assure you - I will be the first to admit that I do not understand everything I read in Scripture. And I'll be honest enough to admit that I don't even like some of what I read. Some teachings are hard to accept. Even Jesus' disciples complained, after listening to one of his sermons. "After hearing this, many of His followers said, 'This teaching is too hard! Who can listen to it?'” (John 6:60 NLV) I didn't write the book. Just like I didn't create the earth and all the plants that grow upon it. It requires humility to accept the wisdom found in God's Word. It requires a posture of submission to accept the truths found in Scripture and to choose to live my life according to them. Especially when they contradict the 'wisdom" of this world. How about you? Where do you go to seek truth? Where do you go to find wisdom? What is informing your faith, which in turn informs your thoughts, beliefs, and the way you live your life? In case you are curious, this is what a true tomatillo plant looks like. You can find these in the produce department of your grocery store, usually by the tomatoes. They look like green tomatoes, but they are not. They are actually related to the gooseberry family. (I couldn't make this stuff up.) And in case you haven't been able to stop thinking about enchiladas since you read the first paragraph, here is my favorite recipe for homemade green salsa enchiladas. My niece and her husband request this dish when they come in to town. Their son, Lucas, likes to help me make it, and last time he even ate an enchilada! Use any leftover salsa to make chilaquiles, or put it on your fried eggs or drizzle it over nachos. 
Comments are closed.
|
Sign up for updates:
Archives
November 2024
|
RSS Feed