Sunday, September 06, 2009
Salsa is easy
And here I'm not talking about the musical type, but if you want to imagine some hot, sexy salsa music going in the background while you read this, go ahead. :)
I have a garden, and long about this time every year, that garden gives me more tomatoes than I know what to do with. So I make salsa as one way of using and being thankful for that bounty.
Here's what I do:
First, I peel a half-dozen or so cloves of garlic, from the bounty of garlic I harvested in late June. The easy way to do this is to cut the bottom off the clove with a sharp kitchen knife, lay the flat of the knife on top of the clove, and whack it gently with the heel of your hand to semi-crush the clove. This loosens the skin sufficiently that you can just peel it off and toss it into the container of stuff going back out to the compost pile. Toss the cloves into the food processor.
Next, add a couple of chili peppers of your favorite heat level. This time I used two jalapenos I got from a friend who owns one of the wineries I play at; in the past I've grown these. I removed most of the seeds to keep the heat level manageable for me. To do this, you cut the stem end off the pepper and then slit it open lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds with the knife or a teaspoon, and add them and the stem to the compost.
CAUTION: If you get the pepper juice on your hands, DON'T RUB YOUR EYES or any other sensitive flesh until you've cleaned your hands THOROUGHLY. It *will* hurt if you don't pay attention to this.
Next, add the equivalent of one small onion, in big chunks, to the food processor. Once again, these are easy to grow in the average home garden, and most years I'd be using my own onions.
Now, run the food processor on high until everything is chopped and shredded into little bits. It won't take long, and it's a lot faster this way than chopping by hand.
At this point, I scrape all of the stuff in the food processor out into a separate bowl, but you can also add your tomatoes right in and mix it all together.
Cut up half a dozen or so tomatoes, more if they're smaller and fewer if they're huge. If your tomatoes are about 3" in diameter, use 6 or 7. Cut out the stem end and quarter them. Toss them in the food processor, and run the food processor until all the big chunks are gone.
If you took the other stuff out before adding tomatoes, now add your tomatoes to the onions, garlic, and peppers mix and stir thoroughly.
Presto! You're done!
At this point, you can add other stuff if you feel like it, to adjust the flavor. I used a quarter lime and some chipotle powder. If the salsa is too spicy, add more tomatoes. If you like cilantro, chop and add some.
Serves a roomful of people, alongside a bag or bowl of tortilla chips. Or use it in Mexican dishes of various sorts. If you grew all of the ingredients, let your friends know - be proud.
I have a garden, and long about this time every year, that garden gives me more tomatoes than I know what to do with. So I make salsa as one way of using and being thankful for that bounty.
Here's what I do:
First, I peel a half-dozen or so cloves of garlic, from the bounty of garlic I harvested in late June. The easy way to do this is to cut the bottom off the clove with a sharp kitchen knife, lay the flat of the knife on top of the clove, and whack it gently with the heel of your hand to semi-crush the clove. This loosens the skin sufficiently that you can just peel it off and toss it into the container of stuff going back out to the compost pile. Toss the cloves into the food processor.
Next, add a couple of chili peppers of your favorite heat level. This time I used two jalapenos I got from a friend who owns one of the wineries I play at; in the past I've grown these. I removed most of the seeds to keep the heat level manageable for me. To do this, you cut the stem end off the pepper and then slit it open lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds with the knife or a teaspoon, and add them and the stem to the compost.
CAUTION: If you get the pepper juice on your hands, DON'T RUB YOUR EYES or any other sensitive flesh until you've cleaned your hands THOROUGHLY. It *will* hurt if you don't pay attention to this.
Next, add the equivalent of one small onion, in big chunks, to the food processor. Once again, these are easy to grow in the average home garden, and most years I'd be using my own onions.
Now, run the food processor on high until everything is chopped and shredded into little bits. It won't take long, and it's a lot faster this way than chopping by hand.
At this point, I scrape all of the stuff in the food processor out into a separate bowl, but you can also add your tomatoes right in and mix it all together.
Cut up half a dozen or so tomatoes, more if they're smaller and fewer if they're huge. If your tomatoes are about 3" in diameter, use 6 or 7. Cut out the stem end and quarter them. Toss them in the food processor, and run the food processor until all the big chunks are gone.
If you took the other stuff out before adding tomatoes, now add your tomatoes to the onions, garlic, and peppers mix and stir thoroughly.
Presto! You're done!
At this point, you can add other stuff if you feel like it, to adjust the flavor. I used a quarter lime and some chipotle powder. If the salsa is too spicy, add more tomatoes. If you like cilantro, chop and add some.
Serves a roomful of people, alongside a bag or bowl of tortilla chips. Or use it in Mexican dishes of various sorts. If you grew all of the ingredients, let your friends know - be proud.
Labels: do it yourself, food, gardens, garlic, onions, salsa, tomatoes
