A salsa to get you through the summer
A roasted tomato salsa to get you through the summer
During the winter months, I rely on my oven to bring out the best in seasonal produce. In the summertime, however, I find that featuring market-fresh produce in its raw form is my favorite way to enjoy the summer bounty.
Greek salads, ribbons of zucchini simply dressed with lemon juice and olive oil, and even raw corn, cut off the cob, tossed with wedges of ripe tomato, red onion, sometimes a bit of mozzarella, drizzled with a simple vinaigrette, grace our dinner table nightly.
There is one exception though, and it is this roasted tomato salsa.
If you’ve never made homemade salsa before, you’ll wonder why after making this easy roasted tomato version. The star of this condiment, tomatoes, are in season and with so many flavorful varieties available it’s the best time to grab a few pounds at the farmers market or from your vegetable garden if you are lucky to have one.
Having a batch of this salsa on hand is a must in our house all summer long. Not only is it delicious served with chips and guacamole, we use it in all kinds of egg dishes like scrambles, omelettes and breakfast burritos. It’s delicious served alongside grilled fish and a great topping to a black bean burger.
In addition to ripe tomatoes, other seasonal favorites in this recipe are jalapenos and cilantro. The recipe calls for three jalapenos, and I’ve found this to be where people differ depending on how spicy you
like it. So, I make the recipe and hold back one of the jalapenos. After the salsa sits for about an hour, I test the salsa to see if the third pepper should be added or not as jalapenos can vary on heat.
If it’s too hot to turn on the oven, you can fire up the grill. The jalapenos, onions and garlic can be set right on the grill, however, I recommend that a piece of foil (with the edges folded up a bit) or a pan be placed on the grill for the tomatoes, as the juice can set flames, plus you’ll want that liquid as part of the salsa.
Carolyn Jensen is a culinary explorer who is devoted to shopping farmers’ markets for locally sourced, extraordinary and seasonal foods. She shares her weekly bounty through photos, tips and recipes on Instagram at gatherweekly. Contact her at jensencarolyn@ comcast.net.