A staple in Latin cuisine, tomatillos bear plenty of lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids most often credited with protecting eyes from agerelated macular degeneration. They also contain iron and vitamin K.

http://www.wholeliving.com/article/the-seasons-other-veggies

A well-established South of the border immigrant, the tomatillo, with its roots deeply planted in the ancient Aztec culture, needs no visa today. It's even possible that the tomatillo, which means little tomato in Spanish, came from Central and South America and was cultivated in Mexico by the Aztecs before the tomato arrived. Some people call it a jamberry, while others refer to it as a husk tomato.

The Spanish conquistadors, intrigued by many of the foods the Aztecs typically enjoyed, might have brought these treasures back with them to Spain. The name they introduced into Spain for these wonderful fruits of the vine was actually a corruption of the Aztec word for tomatoes. The Aztecs referred to a plump fruit as tomatl. The tomato, in their language, was xitomatl and tomatillos were called miltomatl. However, the Spaniards brought back "tomates." Historians are not sure if tomatoes or tomatillos or both were offloaded from the explorers' ships.

Tomatillos earn their diminutive name by their petite size that varies from that of a cherry tomato to one of a small tomato. What makes them unique in appearance is their paperlike cellulose husk covering that resembles the shape of a small green lantern that hangs downward from the bushy, annual plant on which it grows. Inside the protective husk is a smooth, plump, firm variety of tomato that is usually picked green. When fully ripened, they are actually yellow, but these are rarely brought to market. The husks turn a greenish brown when the fruit is losing its freshness.

With their dense, highly seeded interior, tomatillos burst with a distinctive tart, lemony flavor that makes them the perfect ingredient in Mexican dishes such as Salsa Cruda, a fresh salsa dish, as well as Salsa Verde, a cooked green sauce used in many Mexican dishes. Tomatillos also contain a pectin-like substance that thickens the sauce or salsa upon refrigeration.

The highly nutritional aspects of tomatillos may surprise you. One medium raw tomatillo contains only 11 calories, yet it packs 91 mg. of potassium. That same little fruit contains 4 mg. of vitamin C, 2.4 mg of calcium, 2.38 mg. of folic acid, and 39 IU of vitamin A. Imagine the benefits if you include several in your recipe.

The tomatillo (Physalis philadelphica) is a plant of the tomato family, related to the cape gooseberry, bearing small, spherical and green or green-purple fruit of the same name. Tomatillos, referred to as green tomato (Spanish: tomate verde) in Mexico, are a staple in Mexican cuisine. Tomatillos are grown throughout the Western Hemisphere.

The tomatillo fruit is surrounded by a paper-like husk formed from the calyx. As the fruit matures, it fills the husk and can split it open by harvest. The husk turns brown, and the fruit can be any of a number of colors when ripe, including yellow, red, green, or even purple. Tomatillos are the key ingredient in fresh and cooked Latin American green sauces. The freshness and greenness of the husk are quality criteria. Fruit should be firm and bright green, as the green colour and tart flavour are the main culinary contributions of the fruit.

Tomatillo plants are highly self-incompatible (two or more plants are needed for proper pollination; thus isolated tomatillo plants rarely set fruit).

Ripe tomatillos will keep in the refrigerator for about two weeks. They will keep even longer if the husks are removed and the fruits are placed in sealed plastic bags stored in the refrigerator.^[1] They may also be frozen whole or sliced.

The tomatillo is also known as the husk tomato, jamberry, husk cherry, Mexican tomato, or ground cherry, although these names can also refer to other species in the Physalis genus. In Spanish it is called tomate de cáscara, tomate de fresadilla, tomate milpero, tomate verde ("green tomato"), tomatillo Mexico (this term means "little tomato" elsewhere), miltomate (Mexico, Guatemala), or simply tomate (in which case the tomato is called jitomate). Even though tomatillos are sometimes called "green tomatoes", they should not be confused with green, unripe tomatoes (tomatoes are in the same family, but a different genus). In Assamese it is called pokmou.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomatillo

Preparation

Remove the cellulose husks and wash the tomatillos thoroughly. They naturally have a slightly sticky surface.  Tomatillos can be eaten raw, stir-fried or in sauces.

Raw:

Tomatillos can be chopped and added to any salads. 

Tomatillos can also be added to a raw soup when you want that tangy, lemony touch. Begin with just 1 tomatillo in the blender along with your other soup ingredients, and taste. Add more as needed.

Chop tomatillos, tomatoes, onions, jalapeno, cilantro together then add lime juice and a touch of salt to make your own Salsa Cruda.

Stir-fried:

Tomatillos can be briefly stir fried in a little olive oil, vegetable broth, or water (just don't add too much liquid). Cook along with some onions, garlic, and bell peppers and season to taste with a little salt and pepper.

Sauced:

Salsa Verde is a typical Mexican sauce served with enchiladas or burritos.  Combine chopped tomatillos, onions, cilantro, garlic, serrano chiles, salt and pepper in a saucepan and cook 6 to 8 minutes.

Storage

Store them in the refrigerator until ready to use. Fresh tomatillos will store up to two weeks.

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