Tomatillo in Nahuatl is tom\u0101tl<\/i>, \u2018fat thing\u2019.
\nWhen Aztec farmers found a fatter cultivar,
\none we call tomato, they named it ji-tomatl<\/i>,
\n\u2018fat thing with navel\u2019, comparing
\nits snarled stem scar to the one left when
\nthe scab of an umbilical cord drops off
\nleaving a symbolic link to the womb.
\nThey have similar thoughts about corn silk,
\nflaxen threads sewn back into phloem,
\nconduit of sap between the nourishing sun
\nand the soil into which kernels were sown
\nback when they were seeds. \u00a0Roasted corn
\nmight thus be aptly scattered on this salad.
\nTomatillos resemble gooseberries
\nbut persimmons spring from the same branch.
\nJust look at them side-by-side on a cutting
\nboard awaiting the advent of a keen knife.
\nChances are slim that these same fruit fall
\nto hand all at the same time, so this dish
\nis speculative, which leaves us free to
\nentertain a serendipitous dressing, say
\npico de gallo<\/i>\u00a0with pomegranate juice.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Tomatillo in Nahuatl is tom\u0101tl, \u2018fat thing\u2019. When Aztec farmers found a fatter cultivar, one we call tomato, they named it ji-tomatl, \u2018fat thing with navel\u2019, comparing its snarled stem scar to the one left when the scab of an umbilical cord drops off leaving a symbolic link to the womb. They have similar thoughts … <\/p>\n