Salsa Recipe
I have been a "cook" all my life. I come from a long line of Cooks. Dad was a Cook as was his father. But, there is only one thing I make in the kitchen that turns out well: Salsa.
I won't take any credit for some secret recipe. Fresh, home-grown ingredients make the best-tasting batch. Tomatoes picked at their peak of ripeness are full of juices, acids and sugars. Onions pulled in their prime are sweet. And garlic (the easiest ingredient to grow) is pungent, full flavored and not bitter. The greatest influence on flavor are the peppers.
Every year I grow numerous tomatoes and at least 12 different peppers. I love the variety of colors, shapes, flavors, and heat. Jalapenos are good. But for fuller flavor and twice the heat I like Serranos. I pick these little bullets when they are firm and green. In that phase they give some crunch to the mix and give a slow, sneaky bite back.
Plain old bell peppers are tasty but I prefer pimientos. (Yes, that slimy red thing stuffed in an olive is a sweet pepper.) Pimiento fruits are slightly smaller than bells but the walls are thicker, crunchier, and sweeter.
Purists suggest you dice all ingredients by hand but a quick whirl in a food
processor saves time and keeps your hands from the "heat".
· 3 Serrano or jalapeņo peppers, stems and seeds removed
· 1 pimiento or bell pepper, stem and seeds removed
· 1/2 large Florida Sweet onion
· 4 medium tomatoes
· 2 cloves garlic
· 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
· Juice of one lime or lemon
· Salt to taste
I have fun with multicolored vegetables and make a "rainbow salsa" using yellow tomatoes as a base, red pimientos, Peruvian Purple Peppers, and red onions. It's a thing of beauty. Then there are some not-so-beautiful tomatoes. One of the best flavored heirlooms I have ever eaten is Cherokee Purple. When sliced, the walls are deep red and the jelly is smoky green. When blended into a salsa it looks like the dog's breakfast. Close your eyes and enjoy.
Here are some resources so you can grow your own salsa.
Seed Sources
www.johnnyseeds.com Full of color and detailed growing information.
www.seedsofchange.com All organically-grown seed source. Unique items; Peruvian Purple Pepper (deep purple leaves and nearly black fruit) and Burbank Red Slicing tomato, bred by Luther Burbank...it is packed with amino acids.
www.tomatogrowers.com Florida-based company with a huge range of tomatoes and peppers.
www.seedsavers.org Heirloom vegetables
and flowers. Extraordinary selections from
www.thegarlicstore.com The best. A dizzying array of types and top quality planting bulbs.
www.dixondalefarms.com Sweet onions. For us Floridians, plant the short-day types.
Useful Books
Vegetable Gardening in
Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew. An efficient way to organize your beds to get the most food per inch.
Back to Home Page