Philadelphia Weekly

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Back to her fruits: Gina Humphreys grows tomatillos on her organic farm.

If summer's staple is the tomato, and fall heralds the apple, what shall we look forward to in these uncertain, transitioning in-between weeks? How about the tomatillo--a peculiar, petite and altogether endearing fruit whose taste is a tart combination of both flavors?

A relative of the tomato and member of the nightshade family, tomatillos are palm-sized and covered with a papery beige husk. Although not as flashy as their bright green counterparts, the yellowing tomatillos are tastier and give off a nice smoky, sweet smell. Feel around for soft spots and bruises. (Like apples, a rotten one ruins the whole barrel.)

There are hundreds of ways to use tomatillos: salsa, sauces, skewered and roasted, or as an addition to fresh salads. Their flavor is coaxed out by giving the whole globes a few minutes under the broiler until their skin is blistered and black-spotted.

Gina Humphreys, a third-generation New Jersey farmer and the owner of the organic Urban Girls Produce, is the tomatillo's pixielike patron saint, growing and harvesting two to three bushels every week to sell at the Clark Park and Northern Liberties farmers' markets. Her main crops would make Flannery O'Connor proud: okra, sweet potatoes, lima beans and tomatillos.

"I grow what I like," says Humphreys, who prides herself on this unique selection of produce. "I try to grow things that other farmers don't offer so people have more to choose from. These unusual products might not be big sellers, but they add diversity to the market."

Spend a few minutes with her and it's clear Humphreys has a fascination with organic farming.

"There are lots of things I don't want to know. Like, I don't really want to know about computers," she says. "But there's so much to learn with farming. You have to find out about every single plant, what it looks like, when to harvest it, the lunar cycles. It's endless and I never get bored."

These days Humphreys has thrown herself into understanding insects, getting to know every individual bug (and, in turn, its predator) that lives on her 1.5-acre plot. She conducts miniature science experiments, collecting eggs and cocoons and observing what hatches. "If they're good, I'll set them free. If they're bad, I crush them."

At present a swarm of wasps is working overtime to protect her tomatillos. Attracted to the plant's sweet flowers, the wasps dip in and eat small threatening bugs while they're at it.

Thanks to Humphreys' loving care, these fruits are gaining attention. Mexican families flock to her stand to stock up on tomatillos, which are a staple of Central American cuisine.

"The first year I grew them I didn't sell very many, but they've really caught on. I still tell 20 to 30 people a day what they are, but now I sell all I grow. I think people get bored of eating the same fruits and vegetables all the time."

Humphreys has moved at least 20 times and planted a garden at every stop. She compares her current vocation to her previous one--managing a coffee bar. "Selling espresso was sort of like selling drugs," she says. "But I feel good about promoting something that's really healthy and healthy for society."

Take that as an invitation to become addicted to quirky, quaint produce. Baskets of Humphreys' tomatillos await.