Got tomatillos?

If the water holds out, it looks like this is shaping up to be a really great garden year. My tomatoes are looking good (I might have lost 2 or 3 to that dratted curly top virus - too early to tell), melons, squash, peppers and other warm-weather loving plants are starting to bloom.

Nothing, however, is looking as good as my tomatillos. This is both a blessing and a curse. Unlike their tomato cousins, tomatillos are kind of weird to eat raw (trust me, I've tried). They're great in sauces, salsas and soups, but that requires work. Sometimes, it's nice to just go out to the garden and find something to eat that's easy.
Tomatillos are native to Mexico and Central America, but they really thrive in the Grand Valley. Once you grow them, you never have to buy seeds again. I've never had a problem with insects or disease. If they sprout in an inconvenient location, they don't mind being transplanted to a better spot.
As you can see from these photos, at least on one plant, mine have already started forming husks. I've never had them do that so early in the season. I'm going to have a lot of tomatillos to give away this year...
I have a few plants too many in a couple areas, so if anyone in the Grand Valley would like to try growing them, I'd be happy to share a few plants. I'm sure they'd survive transplanting. Contact me at penny.stine@gjsentinel.com.