Part 101 (1/2)

1 teaspoon olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

teaspoon sea salt

1 cups vegetable broth

Juice of 1 lime

1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro

IN A small saucepan over low heat, saute the garlic and jalapeno in oil until fragrant, about 3 minutes.

Add the tomatillos and salt, saute until the tomatillos begin to soften and release moisture, about 5 minutes. Add the vegetable broth, bring to a slow boil, and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from the heat, let cool until it is not steaming, then add the cilantro and lime juice. Pour into a blender and blend until relatively smooth, about 30 seconds.

GREEN PUMPKIN-SEED MOLE.

MAKES A LITTLE OVER 2 CUPS.

TIME: 20 MINUTES.

A thick diplike sauce made from pumpkin seeds, herbs, tomatillos and peppers, this mole will turn any Mexican type of meal into a revolutionary uprising. Canned tomatillos makes this thick sauce a snap to prepare; the only cooking required is the toasting of the pumpkin seeds (also called pepitas). It's wonderful with rice and beans, and especially delish with Corn Pudding (page 15).

1 cup hulled raw pumpkin seeds

4 whole black peppercorns

1 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro

1 cup lightly packed fresh parsley

1 (7- to 8-ounce) can tomatillos

1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, coa.r.s.ely chopped

2 scallions, white part discarded, chopped coa.r.s.ely