WELCOME to Nest by Tamara blog

WELCOME to Nest by Tamara blog
Hi- It's Tamara. I'm happy you've stopped by, and since 2010 I've been sharing my passion for interior design, history, art, entertaining, travel & fashion. I am an interior designer, textile designer and writer living and working in New York City and East Hampton, Long Island. My musings have taken me to international design, art, antique and epicurean events and I have lots to share. I'm grateful to have been listed as the #1 top design blog, blogs to watch, top design blogs and named and awarded Rising Star of Design by the IFDA NY industry organization. Please feel free to reach out to our team for an interior design consultation at NestbyTamara.com -Tamara

Under The Pergola Recipe: Hit The East Hampton Springs Farmer's Market then Whip Up Homemade Tomatillo Sauce and Chicken Tacos


 After Picking Up Fresh Ingredients from The Springs' Farmers Market, We Make Chicken Tacos 
 with Oven Roasted Homemade Tomatillo Sauce


Under The Pergola Recipe Share:
The Springs of East Hampton
has its own very unique vibe, one part New England other part historic East End and the original home of the local Bonacker, it's authentic and rustic and shows the East End at its finest.  This is not the glitzy Hamptons you see in the glossy pages of magazines, but a beautiful oasis. Over this summer we often headed to the the Springs Farmer's Market which lures local farmers offering organic and fresh grown produce as well as  pasta, olive oil, pickles and essential soaps and oils.
In Springs, you can rent canoes at the Springs General Store and meander in the calm waters behind Jackson Pollocks former home, 
now turned museum.
we picked up tomatillos (or often referred to locally as Husk Tomatoes)
at the market, along with shishito peppers, Turkish eggplant, heirloom tomatoes and other delicious and hard to find from Balsam Farms at the Spring's Market this August.  Now in September, local farm stands are preparing for their busiest harvest season.
paired nicely with delicious Rose from 
Franey Wine & Liquors
I have watched my sister-in-law cook peppers and sauces for years now, and I note she usually roasts them to a caramelized finish drawing out the flavors yet mellowing the spice.  Hailing from Mexico City, she is a fabulous cook and almost always has an herb or some delicious pepper or vegetable roasting and cooking on the stove.  I decided to roast the fresh tomatillos in a cast iron pan to help infuse that special needed char.   tomatillo sauce, otherwise known as Salsa Verde in our family, is a tasty fresh tasting green sauce that is delicious and only as spicy as you want it.  Cut with the freshness of cilantro it holds a citrus, fresh flavor and to me, it is the most delicious of Mexican sauces.  It is a perfect accompaniment on a taco or on enchilidas, and I don't mean the American version of tacos laden with cheese but a more simple street easy-to-eat taco, Mexican style which is meat (usually chicken, pork or beef) in a small corn tortilla with a sprinkle of fresh chopped onion and a sprig or two of chopped cilantro then a squeeze of fresh lime.  The meat is often cooked into a sauce, and my favorite is the tomatillo sauce.  We made our very own version of tacos using a roasted store bought rotisserie chicken, leftover Long Island fresh corn we cut off the cob, black beans, avocado and a homemade tomatillo sauce.  Another secret to making tacos (my sister-in-law Lucia's trick) is to toast the tortillas on the stove top on an open flame, literally pile them on top of one another with the gas burner turned on, quickly flipping and alternating the tortillas so they all have a slight char and are warmed.  This should be done just before serving, then fill your tacos with the meat saute and adding the toppings of your choice finished off with a generous drizzle of tomatillo sauce.  
The four stages of roasting the tomatillos in a cast iron pan, 
set alongside garlic cloves, onion and jalapeno 
 

How To Make 
tomatillo sauce:
5 green tomatillos (take the paper like coating off of them)
1 jalapeno (split in half and I took half the seeds out and left the rest)
1/2 onion
4 garlic cloves
handful of cilantro
1/2 cup of chicken broth
1 whole juice of a lime
In a cast iron pan roast all the ingredients (except the cilantro, broth and lime) at 400 degrees for five-seven minutes watching diligently and turning them so  sides are charred.  
*BLEND--combine all ingredients in the pan to a blender or a food processor (add chicken broth and cilantro).  Blend well, then squeeze the lime into the blender and combine again.   
*PREPARE THE CHIKEN--Saute the Chicken as instructed below
the taco filling:
pulled chicken meat, from a store bought rotisserie chicken
1 onion chopped
1 handful cilantro
1/2 jalapeno
squeeze of a fresh lime
1 Tablespoon Tomatillo sauce
saute the onions, cilantro and jalapeno in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil and heat until translucent.  Add the chicken and saute on both sides for a minute or two until slightly browned then add the tomatillo sauce and a squeeze of the lime and fill in the tortilla. 
*SIDES--cut the corn off the cobs and saute in a pat of butter and when browned a squeeze of a fresh lime wedge, saute a can of black beans with a dollop of red wine, cilantro and three garlic cloves for five minutes.  
*SERVE--In small bowls set out the corn, black beans, chopped avocado, the chicken, chopped onion and chopped cilantro, and the tomatillo sauce.
Guests can help themselves make their very own tacos!
Happy Nesting
XO Tamara 
  
  
the boys arrived home from the beach just in time