A Tale of Bouncing Fruits
Recently, I had a craving for fresh, homemade salsa and added the ingredients to my shopping list. I was at my local Walmart and they had some nice big firm Roma tomatoes, perfect for salsa. I loaded my bag with 12 perfect specimen and finished up my shopping.
I was wheeling my cart out the door and hit a bump in the road. Something hit my foot. Then another something hit my other foot. I looked down and saw that my beautiful tomatoes had leapt out of the cart and were rolling across the parking lot. A couple of thoughts crossed my mind in what felt like slow motion – do I abandon the tomatoes and run to my car in shame, or do I gather them as quickly and inconspicuously as possible? I went with the later and inconspicuous was not possible – I literally stopping traffic chasing those babies around and finally gathered them all back into their bag. I recovered my dignity and made it safely home without incident. Then I opened my trunk and a cantaloupe threw itself down my driveway, bouncing like a basketball. It was clearly not my day for produce.
In case you are wondering, a bouncing cantaloupe on concrete does not survive. It didn’t actually split open, thank goodness, but the flesh was badly bruised and inedible. And the poor tomatoes were too badly bruised to be used. But, thankfully, I had just enough tomatoes left for a respectable amount of salsa.
I have found a fairly decent fresh salsa “recipe”, but I really would rather call it a salsa guideline, as salsa is extremely subjective. The amount for garlic, lime and cilantro, as well as the level of heat is all subject to your own tastes.
I like to use Roma tomatoes, as they are more firm, and less juicy, but still have good flavor. I generally start with 8-10 tomatoes (or grab 12, in case some roll out of your cart). Fresh garlic and cilantro are also essential. If you hate to peel fresh garlic, you can find fresh pre-peeled garlic cloves in the produce section. I like jalapeño peppers, but you can always experiment with other peppers as well. The other secret ingredient is 1-2 cans of Rotel. This helps add flavor and color, if your Romas are on the pale side.
Here is my recipe or guideline for delicious fresh salsa. Feel free to experiment and improvise to make your own signature salsa. I’d love to hear how it turns out.
AuthorMelissa JoyDifficultyBeginnerDrain 1 to 2 cans of Rotel and add your desired amount to a large food processor.
Remove seeds and ribs from the jalapeños and cut into smaller pieces, the add to the food processor. If you are unsure of the level of spice you want, begin by adding just one jalapeño. Note: to save yourself some pain later on, use plastic gloves to handle the peppers to avoid getting the oil onto your fingers.
Peel garlic and chop into some smaller pieces before throwing them into the food processor.
Wash the Roma tomatoes and cut into 4 pieces before throwing into the food processor. Start with 4-6 cut up tomatoes and you can add more as needed.
Add fresh cilantro leaves to taste, then sprinkle with the sea salt to taste and add a squeeze of lime juice. I like to taste the lime, so I start with the juice of one whole lime.
Replace the lid on your food chopper and hold down hold down the Pulse to Chop button until your desired consistency.
Remove lid, sample a small amount and adjust to get just the right flavor. If it is too spicy, feel free to add more tomatoes. If it's not spicy enough, add another jalapeño. Tweak the garlic, lime, sea salt and cilantro until you are pleased.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
Directions
Drain 1 to 2 cans of Rotel and add your desired amount to a large food processor.
Remove seeds and ribs from the jalapeños and cut into smaller pieces, the add to the food processor. If you are unsure of the level of spice you want, begin by adding just one jalapeño. Note: to save yourself some pain later on, use plastic gloves to handle the peppers to avoid getting the oil onto your fingers.
Peel garlic and chop into some smaller pieces before throwing them into the food processor.
Wash the Roma tomatoes and cut into 4 pieces before throwing into the food processor. Start with 4-6 cut up tomatoes and you can add more as needed.
Add fresh cilantro leaves to taste, then sprinkle with the sea salt to taste and add a squeeze of lime juice. I like to taste the lime, so I start with the juice of one whole lime.
Replace the lid on your food chopper and hold down hold down the Pulse to Chop button until your desired consistency.
Remove lid, sample a small amount and adjust to get just the right flavor. If it is too spicy, feel free to add more tomatoes. If it's not spicy enough, add another jalapeño. Tweak the garlic, lime, sea salt and cilantro until you are pleased.
Enjoy!
2 Comments
Jenny Jiang
We love salsa though I’ve never tried it with the canned component … but now I will. Looks so good!
Edie Libby
Beautifully written and photographed! I’m proud of you! …and you know how I love salsa! YUMMM