Salsa

[Alacrity59]

Pretty much at the end of the gardening season where I am. Time to take off the last few tomatoes and peppers.

I was thinking of salsa. Does anybody have a favourite recipe?

 

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

No recipe, just a vision, and a blender. When making salsa I usually just wing it with what I have in the kitchen. Sometimes I chop it chunky, sometimes I like it smooth out of the blender.

Tomatoes (always Romas for me), or tomatillos make the base. Chili peppers-Serrano, jalapenos,or habaneros usually-add some heat and flavor. Onion-usually white, sometimes green. White vinegar to get things going in the blender. Garlic, cumin, black pepper, or salt for the spices.

Try roasting the sliced/chunked tomatoes, or tomatillos under the broiler till slightly charred and wilted some. Really brings out the flavor by reducing the water content some, as well as the charred bits adding something different.

Start blending, and testing with tortilla chips as you go. Experiment, and have fun. When I want to make a big batch I use my 14" Hobart Buffalo Chopper.

 

[Luc]

I keep mine simple

1 big tomato diced
2 spring onions chopped
1/2 jalapeño chopped as finely as you can

I use the other half in the guacamole.

I sometimes add a bit of lime juice

 

[martym]

Momma made pico de gallo yesterday.

tomato, avocado, garlic salt, lime juice, Serrano pepper, onion

cut it all up, throw in a bowl, mix, and chill a while so all of the flavors come together

for salsa

tomato, onion, garlic cloves, Serrano pepper, garlic salt, olive oil

heat the oil on the stove while chopping all the other ingredients and then add them to the saucepan. With a wooden spoon, just mosh everything as it softens. Taste and adjust. Awesome on eggs hot or let cool and eat with chips.

we keep it pretty simple on the ranch

 

[ouch]

I think the best salsas start with roasted tomatoes.

 

[Alacrity59]

I think the best salsas start with roasted tomatoes.

This makes so much sense. I'd never have thought of it.

 

[Thu'umhammer]

Roasted tomatoes do sound like a good idea. I've never made salsa before though.

 

[craig87c]

Always had salsa be too watery. Roasting the tomatoes makes entirely too much sense with hindsight being 20/20 and all.

 

[rajagra]

Aren't coriander (cilantro) and some lime juice compulsory?
Not as much so as the tomato and onion though, obviously. Apart from that, salsa seems to be a perfect thing for customising.
It's a pain having to get fresh coriander, but it's pungent, a little goes a long way.
I can't find the exact recipe I've used but it's like this one. (Except I heated mine up.)

Adding chopped celery works really well IMO. Better than expected for sure.

 

[Alacrity59]

I hope not Ray. I do some dishes with cilantro just because that is the way it is done. But I really dislike the taste of cilantro and tarragon. To me they taste soapy. I've come to understand I'm not alone in this but that I'm part of a minority. In many recipes I will substitute parsley.

 

[jesseix]

Big fan of tomatillo salsa, I think its more versatile than a regular red tomato salsa.
Roasted in the oven with garlic/onion/jalapeno, then pulsed up with cilantro and lime juice.

 

[Purplemonkey]

For fresh coriander, go to a local indian (Asian for those of you in the UK) grocer and look for cilantro or "than-ee-ah" (phonetic spelling for fresh coriander in punjabi). I can usually get it year round here on the west coast.

 

[rtaylor61]

The perfect ingredients for salsa are:

Whatever you want to toss in and eat on a chip. I have friends who hate cilantro. Others who can't eat raw onions. So they have their own versions. There is mango salsa. Watermelon salsa. All kinds of salsa. Andy Griffith was close when he said "Everything taste great when it sits on a Ritz". Except salsa.

Randy

 

[YetiDave]

For fresh coriander, go to a local indian (Asian for those of you in the UK) grocer and look for cilantro or "than-ee-ah" (phonetic spelling for fresh coriander in punjabi). I can usually get it year round here on the west coast.

Rarely over here is anything referred to as Asian when it comes to food - Asia's a damned big place and the term just isn't specific enough! Coriander's one of my all time favourite ingredients - magic happens when you add lime and garlic to the mix

 

[Jim]

It all sounds great!
One variation is to add the well squeezed flesh of pineapple to the salsa. Nice change and a counterpoint to the hotter versions.

 

[beginish]

It all sounds great!
One variation is to add the well squeezed flesh of pineapple to the salsa. Nice change and a counterpoint to the hotter versions.

And the tropical fruit flavor marries really nicely with the flavor of scotch bonnets and habaneros.

 

[Alacrity59]

Well probably not expected but we had grilled chicken with tomato avocado salsa. More tomatoes ripening in the window so I'm looking forward to trying a few more of your suggestions. We tried Luc's with the Ouch touch yesterday. It was a hit.