Homemade Fresh Salsa Recipe

Fresh Salsa Recipe

If you're looking for a versatile condiment that's perfect for summer fare, consider salsa. I know many of you think of salsa as something to serve with tortilla chips or a Mexican dish, but there are a lot of interesting ways to use it.

Salsa is the Spanish and Mexican word for sauce, but in America we think of it as a chunky tomato condiment that can be mild or really spicy. If your only experience with salsa is the stuff you buy in a jar, you owe it to yourself to prepare a delicous batch using the freshest seasonal ingredients you can get your hands on and try it in some new and creative ways.

In our house, we call my salsa, "Honus's" Salsa, a nickname given to me by one of my wife's friends. Now it doesn't matter what type of salsa I make, they are all Honus's.

Salsa Variations

Although most often made with tomatoes, salsa can be prepared with various fruits and vegetables depending on what you are going to serve it with. I've prepared different variations of salsas made with papaya, pineapple, and mango that go great with grilled fish, chicken, pork, or shrimp.

Or how about a combination of tomato and fruit like orange, tomato and red onion salsa. In one of my favorite New York Italian restaurants, they served a grilled veal chop with traditional salsa piquant. And if you're hungry and in a hurry, a simple fresh tomato salsa on top of a baked potato is delicious.

There are endless recipes you can come up with and depending on your own taste buds, you can make it as spicy or mild as you like. Just be careful not to touch your eyes after handling hot peppers. You think they're hot in your mouth?

Mango Salsa with Black Beans - I've served this with tortilla chips, grilled chicken, pork tenderloin and even salmon

Peach Salsa Recipe - perfect with grilled chicken breasts

Blue Cheese and Pear Quesadillas with Mango Salsa

Green Herb Salsa - served on top of smoked salmon cones. Delicious!

Corn & Tomato Salsa - served with tasty steamed mussels

salsa

Goes Great With Fish, Chicken or Pork

This salsa goes great with any firm white fish like swordfish or sea bass but be careful not to overpower the wonderful taste of fresh fish. I have used this salsa on grilled chicken breasts and roasted loin of pork. It is especially good with leftovers to create a different dish the next night.

Give this recipe a try or create your own and serve it with something other than chips. You'll find the leftovers are better the next day after a night of marinating and will make a great omelet the next morning. When I prepare this recipe, I usually make a large amount at one time and dine on it all week. If you just want to make enough for one meal, reduce the amounts proportionately.

Don't Make This Salsa Unless You Can Get Your Hands On Ripe, Tasty Tomatoes & Seasonal Vegetables

Please don't attemp this recipe unless you are using fresh, seasonal tomatoes that taste like tomatoes. Unfortunately, the season for fresh tomatoes in most places is short. I have tasted local hot house tomatoes that are excellent and would work fine but most tomatoes you buy at the market shipped in from who knows where don't have any taste at all. They might work in a tomato sauce, but not when eating them raw.

The Zen of Salsa Making

Cooking Techniques - Cutting and Chopping

6 - 8 large fresh, flavorful tomatoes about 6 cups - important, see prep below
2 scallions, finely minced
1 cup FRESH cilantro, chopped, no stems
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped FRESH oregano
2 tablespoons Jalapeno pepper, minced (more if your taste buds can handle it)
1 red pepper, chopped
2 yellow peppers, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons FRESH lime juice
Salt and Pepper to taste

salsa recipe

Lots of prep work for making this dish. In fact it's all about prepping the ingredients and that's the way you should approach it. Yes, you can make it easy by throwing ingredients into the food processor and it will still taste great but you will loose a lot of the texture.

If you have the time, savor the process and chop up most of the ingredients by hand. You may even find you like the repetitive action of cutting and dicing. I find it very relaxing when I'm stressed out. If you must use a food processor to save time, at least cut up the tomatoes by hand.

Try to use the freshest, ripest tomatoes you can find. It will make a big difference to the final taste. What if you wanted to make Honus's Salsa in the middle of the winter and the tomatoes looks awful. You can always use chopped canned tomatoes in a pinch and it will still be good but not AS good.

Chop up the tomatoes and mince the scallions. If you can't find scallions, you can substitute fresh onion. Mince the garlic and chop up the oregano. Be careful with the Jalapeno pepper. You'll want to wash your hands after handling it so not to take a chance of rubbing any in your eyes.

Split the pepper in half and clean out the seeds and membrane and then chop into small pieces.

Once all the ingredients are prepped, add them to a large bowl and stir gently until well combined. Cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Serving Suggestions: