Raw Salsa

i make a mean pineapple mango salsa

I like to some times either bake or smoke half of my ingredients when making salsa. Then the other half I just chop by hand with the cooked ones. Makes for a nice mixture of fresh/cooked salsa.

However at times I just make fresh chopped and always use Roma tomatoes. Sometimes for chopping onions, garlic, peppers and cilantro I have a "slap chop" from the pampered chef that works pretty good.

I like to keep it kind of simple. I don't de-seed my tomatoes. I just chop and add them to the bowl. Depending on the type or amount of hot pepper I might not de-seed either. I like to use Serrano peppers and just "slap chop" them up. I just keep adding ingredients until the mixture looks good and the heat is right. Always start with the Roma's first and then add each ingredient after that one at a time and stir. Once its all in there you can taste and add as needed.

I will add some fresh ground pepper, fresh squeezed lime juice and some cumin to the mix. I normally do not add salt because I find that the tomato is salty enough. Just kind of do it to my taste and it normally gets good reviews. I guess the key is to make it to your liking and roll with it! Don't forget the Scoops for chips!

Heres my ingredients for it

Roma Tomatoes raw garlic cilontro red onion olive oil garlic salt pepper

Simple and tastes great!

7, terribly sorry I haven't responded sooner. I sent you a pm.

dryice

2 ears of corn, grilled and then sliced off the cobb, or slice off the cobb and then broil till bits get brown. Into the bowl

half a green pepper, small dice.

Half a yellow pepper, small dice

half a red pepper, small dice, By the way, freeze the other halves, they last a long time in the freezer.

1/3 a cup of mince onion

2 garlic cloves finely minced, Get real fine, almost paste

one can of black beans, drained well

4 medium sized romas, small dice, no seeds. around a cup worth

3 fresh Jalapenos, de-seeded, and finely minced

2 limes worth of juice, at least two.

2 tbl of fresh cilantro, fine mince

heavy pinch of coarse salt

good pinch of blk pepper

pinch of white sugar

small drizzle of olive oil

It is ready to eat the moment you make it. The next day is better.

If you want more of a tangy flavor, a small splash of white win vinegar or rice wine vinegar really rounds this out. It's a 50/50 for me when I make it.

Where do you get those soldakis?

Some other good "meaty" tomatoes we use are Viva Italias (very similar to romas), Amish Paste (much larger), and Soldacki (an heirloom tomato that are very large and meaty-my favorite). Gotta love salsa time!

kyl, romas are one of the best tomatoes for salsa. However, this particular batch had black krim tomatoes. I chop the whole thing up with a knife, and sometimes even leaving in the stub where the stem is attached!

Try grilling some fish or chicken hooters directly on the grates and serve with a couple scoops of fresh salsa on top with some sliced avocado on the side. One of my favorites in the summer months.

Casting I use the same recipie but add a couple dashes of red wine vinegar to it. Add a few seeds from the jalapeno for extra heat. more seed more heat. Grandkids cant get enough of it.

I make my salsa, then draw off the extra juice to use in a casserole, chili or mix it with tomato juice for a perkier drink. If canning I mix in some okra and that thickens it up nicely.

I like that trick Kodiakman, almost bought one last time I checked one out, bought a spider for the deep fryer and the Pizzaz Plus Pizza Cooker instead (awesome unit)... I chop all my tomaters small cubed, one or two I throw in the blender makes for not so soupy salsa... I quarter and take all the seeds out first and pat them dry w/ a paper towel... Lime, garlic. salt/pepper, cilantro, and fine cubed white onion along w/ some peppers (jalapeno/habenero or both)... Nothing like fresh though, sometimes I'll char half the ingredients in a saute pan, makes for a premiun smokey salsa... Fresh guacamole/chips and ice cold Heineken Lites...

Romas work the best I think. If you have a salad spinner that is all you need for other tomatoes to get the juice out. Salt and suspend your tomato chunks in a strainer, after you de-seeded that is. After half a hour or so spin'm and your salsa will have half the soupiness.

I love fresh salsa. Good topic.

Fonzie - thanks. I have one roma planted this year but only have 1 tomato from it so far (lots more to come though). I will give them a try when more become ripe, and may have to change a few more of the other plants over to romas next year.

kyl-me, You gotta use vine-ripe "roma" tomatos for your salsa. The are sort of a smallish, oblong tomato. They are very tasty and NOT real juicy at all...