Far Above Rubies

Call Me Julia

{ 12:37, 2006-Aug-21 } { Posted in Recipes } { 3 comments } { Link }

I am walking around with an inflated ego tonight.

My husband has been praising me to the skies about my salsa. Yes, I admit, it IS the bomb-diggity-do. I am absolutely shameless in stating that I have never tasted salsa as good as mine!

I didn't plan on making it. I had no inclination to make it (I was hoping my mom would make some of hers and bring me a jar). BUT...yesterday mu husband brought me home 2 10 pound bags each of Big Jim chiles and Anaheim chiles, roasted fresh, plus a bushel of farm stand ripe tomatoes. I surveyed the loot with a mixture of dismay and excitement. The smell of roated chiles and off the vine fresh tomatoes is incomparable. And my mouth began to water for chips and salsa.

But so MANY??? I should not be surprised. My husband does everything big. He IS big!

So make salsa I did, for several hours. I have no canning equipment, but I just ordered a starter set off e bay last night, so it should get here before the veggies spoil, I hope. I will freeze some of the chiles for later batches of salsa and for rellenos, and I'll have to make some marinara sauce with the rest of the tomatoes, but I made about 2 gallons of salsa put away in the fridge, awaiting canning.

Okay, I'll let you in on my salsa recipe. The word recipe is subjective, because I don't go by amounts in anything. If you make this, you have to adjust the amounts to your liking and heat tolerance. I will give approximate amounts, for about a half gallon batch.

SHANNON'S AWESOME SALSA

Tomatoes. Don't insult me and your taste buds by using store bought ones. You deserve better. I used about 15 tomatoes, of medium size.

Onions. I used one large white onion. WHITE, not yellow! Store bought is fine. I have never observed much difference between farm fresh and storebought.

Green Chiles. If you like your salsa milder, use Anaheims. If you like to BRING THE HEAT, use Big Jims. I advise you get fresh roated ones from a farmer's market stand. They cannot be beat.

Jalapenos. Optional. my husband likes it spicier, so I used 3 japs. I cut off the tops, sliced them lenghtwise, scooped out the seeds and membranes (leave them in if you're insane) and roasted them for 20 minutes or so at 350, which brings out their sweetness and flavor.

Cilantro. Also optional, because some people think it tastes like soap. I love it. I chopped up a handful. Don't use that heinous herb in a tube junk...it stinks.

Lime juice. The juice of one lime is sufficient

Salt and pepper, and cumin. A couple of dashes of salt and pepper, and about a tablespoon of cumin. I like to use cumin seed better, but I was out.

Olive oil. Just a swirl around the bowl.

Okay, my secret ingredient. You may not think it's so secret, but no other recipe I have come across for salsa has it. My mom told me to put it in, and I thought she was crazy, but trust me, it makes the difference!

Drum roll................

Rice Vinegar. Not regular, not apple cider, not red wine....RICE vinegar! It gives it a zip and a snap you'll love. No jarred salsa tastes like this.

So, if your husband descends on you with enough produce to feed a small country for several days, try it!

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{ 06:57, 2006-Aug-21 } { Posted by BackyardTreasures }
I have been looking for a good salsa recipe and yours sounds wonderful so I'm going to give it a try. The recipes I've used in the past were OK, but still lacking something in taste, so yours just might be the one I need. :-) I've never roasted peppers before, so could you explain just a bit more about how to do it? Thanks.

~~Anne

mmmmm...............

{ 07:49, 2006-Aug-21 } { Posted by wvmountainmama }
sounds so good! (even at 7:30 in the morning, lol) My garden flopped this year, so I don't have any homegrown veggies to start with. I hope to grow my own next year and I printed your recipe for future use!

I really enjoyed spending a few minutes with you this morning. You are an excellent writer!!
Blessings,
Jodi

Extra salsa tips

{ 02:50, 2006-Aug-21 } { Posted by MamaMiller }
There was a queastion on roasting chiles...

My husband brought them to me already roasted at the farm market stand. If you have fresh produce stands nearby, almost all of them I've seen have big chile roasting drums they crank over an open fire.
But if you don't have the option of having them roasted for you, you can easily roast chiles/tomatoes/jalapenos this way:
Simply place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet with sides to catch juices. Place them close under a very hot broiler in your oven and keep them there till the skins blacken. Turn them over and repeat. Cool, and the skins should slide right off.
I don't generally roast tomatoes unless I cannot get farm fresh. If you have to use store tomatoes, definitely roast them, it will greatly improve the flavor.

This recipe should sit in the fridge overnight before you eat it. You can sample it right away, but it's twice as good when the flavors can mingle overnight. I had a bowl for breakfast with corn chips and I couldn't get enough!

Thanks to all who read and comment...I appreciate you!