Dancing in the kitchen can be fun. Put on some great salsa
music, get the food processor out and line up the chilies and
cilantro. Before you know it your creative juices will be flowing
and between Spanish two steps and tomatoes you will have a bowl of
hot and spicy sauce for dipping and dousing.
Dancing in the kitchen can be fun. Put on some great salsa music, get the food processor out and line up the chilies and cilantro. Before you know it your creative juices will be flowing and between Spanish two steps and tomatoes you will have a bowl of hot and spicy sauce for dipping and dousing.
Salsa as a sauce is a lot more than tomatoes and chilies these days. I made a delicious fresh berry concoction with rich balsamic vinegar and some hot peppers and served it over vanilla ice cream. The dinner guests were exclaiming how wonderful it was and we decided it had to be the music that brought all the sensations together. Or it may have been the sweetness of the raspberries blended with the heat of the diced roasted jalapeno, or perhaps it was the warmth of a most perfect balmy evening,
Ambiance. It is the joy of food and fun for family and friends, bringing people together to enjoy the simple pleasures of dining together.
Summertime salsas are the easiest and most exciting to make at home because of the abundance of fresh produce. It does not seem to matter if the produce comes from your own garden or from the produce market if you know how to dice, chop and blend.
How sharp are your knives? All that it takes to produce a wonderful salsa instantly is a good sharp chefs knife, a tomato or two, an onion, 1-2 chili peppers, cilantro, salt and pepper. Chop everything into a small bowl and pass the chips. Adjust seasoning to taste.
All other additions turn the basic recipe into works of art for side dishes, for toppings for grilled foods, for salads and for desserts extraordinaire. There are whole cookbooks available with hundreds of recipes using various common and not-so-common ingredients for what is now know as “new age salsas”. So put on your dancing shoes, turn up the volume, add another chili and see what happens next. Which is hotter, the dance or the salsa?
RED SALSA TRADITIONAL
3 red ripe tomatoes, chopped 1 medium onion, chopped
3 serrano chiles, seeded and chopped zest of 1 lime
1 tablespoon lime juice
3-4 tablespoons cilantro, chopped chips and also jicama slices
Combine, taste, and serve. It is better if it gets to “rest” 30 minutes before serving. Add chopped avocado if desired. Green onions are great, too.
SALSA as per Ruth Rodriquez of Hollister
8-9 fresh jalapenos, or Fresno chiles
28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Boil the chiles in water for 15-20 minutes until they are grayish-green. Drain and allow to cool. Then peel off the thin skin. In a food processor with steel chopping blade in place, carefully chop the canned tomatoes briefly. Do not over process or they will get frothy. Remove 1/2 of the tomatoes to a bowl and set aside. To the remaining tomatoes in the processor add the chiles and process with on and off strokes until chopped. This mixture will be hot. Add as much as you wish to your main dish of salsa to get the desired heatness. Season with salt and garlic powder. Serve as a dip for chips, or use as a sauce for enchiladas and other wonderful Mexican foods.
SALSA PICANTE
2 large oranges,or 4-5 tangerines cut into chunks
1-2 ripe avocados, cut into small pieces
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
zest of 1 lime
2-3 tablespoons lime juice
1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded if you do not want all of the heat
3-4 sprigs fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt freshly ground white peppercorns
Combine all ingredients in a beautiful bowl. Allow to stand 15 minutes or so to blend the flavors. Serve with mashed refried beans on a flour tortilla, or use as a dip.
BERRY DELICIOUS SALSA
2 cups raspberries or blackberries
1 tablespoon sugar
1 mango, peeled and finely diced
1 banana, peeled and diced
1/2 teaspoon (or as desired) dried crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons port wine or aged balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
In a bowl sprinkle sugar over the berries and allow to stand at least 10 minutes. Gently stir in all remaining ingredients and serve over vanilla ice cream or over creme brulee, pound cake or even brownies.
Dorothy McNett is the owner of Dorothy McNett’s Place, 800 San Benito St., Phone: 637-6444 or fax 637-5274. Her column runs Fridays in The Times. Visit the store’s Web site at happycookers.com
