Farm Fresh Husk Cherry and Cherry Tomato Salsa Recipe

As part of a CSA I tried out provided by Brookwood Community Farm, I received a pint of husk cherries (ground cherries), which I’d never even heard of before, a couple of pints of cherry tomatoes, and some shallots. Other than an overall enjoyable experience with the fresh produce of the CSA, I loved getting introduced to foods I’d never tried before. A quick lookup of these cousins to the gooseberry and tomatillo revealed that many describe the flavor of husk cherries as a cross between a tomato and a pineapple. Sure enough, that’s exactly what they tasted like! My mind immediately went to ideas for how to use these earthy, bright, and sweet tasting mini fruits.

In warmer weather, the first thing that popped into my head to make was salsa. It’s just a simple way to highlight the natural flavors of the produce while still making it versatile enough to eat as a small side salad, as a dip with chips, or as a topping for any protein. Additionally, lovers of mango and pineapple salsa varieties should love using ground cherries like this as well. This recipe is extremely simple with the hardest part being finding husk cherries, which are not often carried by grocery stores. Looks for them at farmers markets or farm stands and enjoy a treat far too many of us aren’t familiar with!

Ground Cherry Salsa Recipe with Cherry Tomatoes

Servings: 2
Time: 0 hr 15 mins
Difficulty: Easy
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Cherry Tomato and Husk Cherry Salsa

Ingredients

1/2 cup of husk cherries or ground cherries
1 cup of whole cherry tomatoes
1 diced medium size shallot
1/2 to 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon of loosely packed and diced cilantro
1/8 teaspoon of salt

Equipment

Cutting board
Knife
Spoon
Bowl
Cup tablespoon, and teaspoon measurements

Directions

Peel off the husks for about 1/2 a cup of husk cherries and then rinse them carefully under cold water to remove any dirt or stickiness.
Slice each husk cherry in half and place them all in a bowl.
Rinse roughly a cup of whole cherry tomatoes, cut them into quarters and place them in the same bowl as the husk cherries. The tomato cherries I used were yellow or orange, but any color will do.
Dice one whole medium-sized shallot and place it in the bowl with the other ingredients.
Dice up enough cilantro to fill a loosely packed tablespoon. Use as much or as little as you like.
Squeeze about 1/2 to one full tablespoon of lime juice over the ingredients depending on your taste and add 1/8 teaspoon of salt.
Mix all of the ingredients thoroughly using a spoon and that’s it! You now have a fresh, bright, salsa! Serve it with Mexican food, with salad, or as a topping for grilled meats or fish.