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Apart from a celebration filled with margaritas and cheesy enchiladas I’m ashamed to confess that I never really thought about what Cinco de Mayo meant. So to remind us of this freedom-filled day, I want to make sure you readers know what exactly Cinco de Mayo is. 

According to Wikipedia (not to say that wikipedia is really all that factual): 
Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "fifth of May") is a holiday celebrated in the United States and primarily limited to the state of Puebla in Mexico. The holiday commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín.

Cinco de Mayo is not "an obligatory federal holiday" in Mexico, but rather a holiday that can be observed voluntarily.While Cinco de Mayo has limited significance nationwide in Mexico, the date is observed in the United States (also voluntarily) and other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day which actually is September 16, the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico.

So Congrats General Seguín! Good job defeating ze French! We’ll return on September 16 – the non-voluntary holiday – to celebrate Mexico’s Independence. But for now, we’ll get some baked tortilla chips and make this delicious salsa.

Roasted Tomatillo & Corn Salsa
1 1/2 pounds fresh tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
3 jalapenos
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
a good handful of  fresh cilantro
4 green onions chopped coarsely
2 tablespoons coconut oil or other high temperature oil such as sunflower
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
Squeeze of lime juice
Sea salt to taste
Optional:  Mexican crema (or sour cream) and cotija cheese

Preheat broiler.

On a foil lined broiler pan, lay tomatillos, chiles and garlic about 3-4 inches apart top side down. Broil for 5 minutes and turn over. Continue broiling for another 5 minutes or until tomatillos are soft and its skins are chard.

Meanwhile, add oil to a heavy saucepan – such as cast iron – and heat until pan just begns to smoke. Add corn and stir continuously. Once corn has become chard remove from heat.

Let cool for a couple of minutes and remove skins from garlic. Then, transfer to blender by lifting only the foil from the broiler pan. Be careful not to burn yourself with the hot juice. Add cilantro and green onions to the blender and puree.

Transfer to a large bowl and add corn. Season with salt to taste.

Top with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, Mexican crema, and cotija cheese for a creamy and salty finish.

Note, if you can't find fresh tomatillos, try the canned.  Skip broiling them and add two cups, without the canned liquid.  Add straight to the blender.  Be mindful of your salt when using the canned.
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