SALSA STARTER RECIPE

1 pounds ripe tomatoes

2 to 3 fresh jalapeno peppers, stems removed

1 tablespoon vegetable oil Juice from a fresh lime

Salt

Optional ingredients

1 small white onion, diced and deflamed (see following)

½ bunch cilantro, leaves removed from stems

1 ripe avocado, diced

1 clove garlic, mashed into a teaspoon of salt to make a paste Black pepper, to taste Toasted, ground cumin seeds

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place the tomatoes and chilies in a mixing bowl and add oil. Make sure the tomatoes and peppers are coated by a thin layer of oil. Shake off residue and roast in the oven until tomatoes and peppers are blistered. Keep an eye on the peppers as they will need 10 to 15 minutes and the tomatoes might take 20 to 30, depending on how large they are.

Cool tomatoes in chilies while you prepare your optional ingredients.

For onions, de-flame them by dice them then soak them in a bowl with water and a teaspoon of lime juice, lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Let stand at least 10 minutes then dry completely on paper towels.

For cilantro, remove the leaves from the stems and mince.

Halve avocados lengthwise, remove seed, scoop from skin and dice into bite-size portions.

Remove skin from garlic and mash with a teaspoon of salt until it’s a paste.

Once tomatoes and peppers have cooled, hand mash them in a molcajete (mortar) with a telojate (pestle) then add whichever optional ingredients you prefer. Hit it with salt, pepper and lime to taste.