Green tomato burritos and a green tomato salsa

My enthusiasm for green tomatoes is undimmed. I've now discovered they make a great salsa - no need for lime juice, as the tomatoes have their own tartness built in.

The green tomatoes get a double billing here, adding depth to the smoky lentil filling as well as in the lively, fresh salsa to go on top.

There are almost endless variations on these burritos. If you don't have green tomatoes, they'll be delicious, if a little different, with red tomatoes too. You could make a quicker version using tinned black beans instead of the lentils. It's fun to play around with different toppings - guacamole or sliced avocado, grated cheese and chilli sauce are all options. Sour cream would be delicious too, but I rather like natural yogurt as a lighter alternative. 

Makes 4 burritos

Ingredients

2 medium onions, chopped
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped
1 tsp smoked paprika
6 green tomatoes, sliced
250g brown or green lentils
2 bay leaves
4 large flour tortillas

Chopped coriander leaves, to garnish

For the salsa:

4 green tomatoes
1 red or orange pepper
1 fresh red chilli
About 4 tbsp chopped coriander leaves (you can use the stems too)

Optional extras: natural yogurt, hot chilli sauce, sliced avocado or guacamole, grated cheese

Method

First make the salsa - simply chop the tomatoes and pepper finely, and the chilli very finely indeed. Mix together with the coriander leaves. Taste and add more chilli, coriander or a little salt if you wish.

For the smoky lentils, put the onions in a large pan with the oil. Cook over a medium to high heat until the onions are starting to brown. Crush the coriander seeds as much as you can with a pestle and mortar and add them to the onions along with the chilli and the smoked paprika. Cook for 2 minutes more, then add the lentils and bay leaves with enough water to cover.

Cover the pan and simmer, checking occasionally that the lentils haven't completely dried out, until the lentils are nearly cooked with just a hint of bite - about 25 minutes, but it can vary according to how old your lentils are.

Add the sliced green tomatoes and simmer for about five minutes more until they are starting to collapse.

When the filling is ready, warm your tortillas - I like to do this directly on a gas hob, moving the tortilla around so you get small charred patches, but you can use the oven or grill if you prefer.

Fill each tortilla with a quarter of the filling, top with the salsa, some more coriander leaves and any other fillings you fancy - I particularly like a spoonful of yogurt or sliced avocado, but extra chilli sauce may be no bad thing if you like it spicy. Roll up and eat with your fingers.