Potatoes in Green Sauce

Served this at a barbecue tonight, where at least one person claimed they were the best potatoes she ever ate. I wouldn't go that far, but they were pretty flavorful. The recipe comes from Cookshelf Mexican, by Marlena Spieler. All you're doing, basically, is adding green salsa to already-cooked potatoes, so I suppose that in a pinch you could just open a jar of tomatillo salsa and save a few steps. But roasting the ingredients for the salsa is not hard, and adds a flavor dimension you most likely will not get from a jar.

3 pounds red potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch chunks

1 onion, halved and unpeeled

8 garlic cloves, unpeeled

8 tomatillos, husks removed

1 large jalapeño chili

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 medium zucchini, diced

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

salt

Place potatoes in a pot of water and bring to a boil, then cook gently for 8-10 minutes until potatoes are almost done. Do not over cook. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, roast onion, garlic, tomatillos and chili in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until charred. Remove from pan. Let cool slightly, then peel onion and garlic. Place onion, garlic, tomatillos and chili in a blender, together with 1/2 cup chicken stock to make a puree. Set aside.

Heat oil in heavy skillet and fry puree until it reduces slightly. Add potatoes and zucchini, along with half of the cilantro and the rest of the chicken stock. Simmer gently for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Check for salt.

Sprinkle with remaining cilantro and serve.