Homemade Fresh Salsa

There are so many different types of salsa out there. Influenced by both the ingredients found in a region and the culture that comes up with the recipe. While the word salsa simply means sauce in spanish, there’s no doubt as to why it has become ubiquitously associated with the bajillion styles of tomato-based salsas of Mexico. There is a style for every occasion. This version is halfway between the pico de gallo and restaurant style (also known as salsa de mesa). Pico de gallo has no cook time, just fresh diced tomatoes, cilantro and onion tossed in lime juice whereas restaurant style has a finer grain with more liquid and usually cooked to some degree. This salsa recipe has the texture of a restaurant style with the freshness factor of the pico de gallo style. It is in essence my attempt to recreate Costco's wonderful 'Jack's Salsa'. If you’ve never tried this, you’re missing out! Whether you are a dipper, a scooper or a shoveller, it's the perfect companion for tortilla chips.

Since there's no cook time, the ingredients are what really make this recipe shine. Since it's tomato season in Ontario right now, this is the perfect recipe to use up all those garden grown tomatoes. The tomatoes are the base that everything else rests on. There are thousands of different varieties, for this recipe I recommend using one of the plum tomato varieties; they tend to have a meatier interior with less seeds to deal with as well as a really tasty flavour. For the onion, I have used an equivalent amount of white onion in the past to great success however; for the prettiest looking salsa use green onion. Not only does it add more green contrast to the bright red salsa it also doesn't cut back or muddle the red colour like a translucent white onion will. The final large ingredient before adding the aromatics is some peppers. I like to add some green pepper for the quintessential pepper flavour as well as a hot pepper for the piquant aspect.

The type of hot pepper is up to you! Pick a milder hot pepper if you can't handle the heat, or my favourite medium pepper a jalapeno. Feel free to go hotter though, I've also tried yellow pencil, scotch bonnet and a ghost pepper in the past.. man was that spicy! The hotness factor depends on the amount of capsaicin in each pepper, which are the reason for that burning sensation that occurs when eating hot peppers. One way to rank the units is using the Scoville heat scale, which, ranks on a scale from 0 to 10+. The index is based on the amount of units in each pepper. A bell pepper is a 0 on the scale meaning zero units and no heat. Where as the hottest pepper I've ever tried was the above mentioned ghost pepper. With 800,000 to 1,000,000 units these beasts are near the top of the index. The majority of the capsaicin are located in the seeds and the membrane. To further control the spiciness of this fresh salsa, remove the seeds and membrane if desired.

Warning: Some hot peppers require wearing food-grade gloves to prepare. For example, scotch bonnets require gloves. If you touch the seeds without them, you may have some burning fingers on your hands for a day or two. Also, anywhere you touch will transfer the burning sensation. If working with really hot peppers I suggest gloves folks. Take it from someone who made that mistake once and won’t make it again ;)

Next are the aromatics! Finish off the salsa with some sprigs of cilantro. The stems are just as important as the leaves for flavour! Don't skimp out by only using cilantro leaves. If you are one of those unfortunate enough to taste soap when eating cilantro than I suggest fresh parsley and oregano instead. Ground some cumin seeds in a mortar and pestle. I find the burst of cumin flavour to be higher this way than if you just use pre-ground cumin powder. However, the powder will still work in a pinch. Next, add some sea or pink Himalayan salt as well as a lime zested and juiced. Finish off with some red wine vinegar to up the acidity a bit and a clove or two of minced garlic.

I like to roughly chop all the ingredients before adding them to the food processor. This shortens the time needed to pulse as well as making the final consistency more even than if you throw in whole pieces and are left with larger-than desired chunks. Be careful not to over-pulse, You want a distinctly textured salsa not a puree! Pulse on low for 5 second intervals to be on the safe side for no more than 25 seconds. The salsa should be covered and stored in the fridge.

Best served with tortilla chips. Get dipping (or scooping) folks!