Year Round Fresh Summer Salsa Recipe

Fresh, home grown summer veggies are hard to beat!  It’s that time of year, gardens are at peak production.  So, I figured it’s a great time to share one of my favorite things to make with our garden vegetables: Fresh Summer Salsa.  Bonus, if you don’t have a garden of your own, the ingredients are easy to find at a farmers market or grocery store.

There’s something about garden fresh ingredients that make this recipe extra special.  However, we do make this salsa recipe, fresh, year round using store bought produce (and it tastes just as good).  We no longer can salsa in the summer, making it fresh is so easy and you can’t beat the flavor.

I have to give credit for this recipe to my best friend, we lived on salsa and chili through most of our college years. When we made salsa we chopped our tomatoes by hand and used a seasoning packet for flavor.  I’ve since tweaked the recipe to be made with clean, natural ingredients to add flavor but the base and inspiration for the recipe, not to mention my obsession with homemade fresh salsa definitely started there!

When I’m asked what my ‘secret’ is (there’s really no secret… I don’t believe in keeping good recipes secret) I guess there’s two things I may do a little different. One, I use primarily cherry tomatoes. Why?  They tend to be much less juicy and allow for a thicker salsa where the juices are the flavor and not just extra water from the tomatoes. Two, I use apple cider vinegar to accentuate the flavor.  It may sound weird but something about ACV brings out the taste of the tomatoes and gives the salsa extra zing.  Don’t knock it til you try it.

Ingredients:

• 2 dry pints Cherry Tomatoes (the small boxes you find at the store)
• fresh Cilantro (I use about 1/4 – 1/2 of a store bought bunch or just a good sized handful)
• 1/2 large red onion
• Splash Apple Cider Vinegar (the real stuff, “with the mother” I like Braggs)
• 1 tsp Garlic powder
• 1/2 to 1 tsp coarse pink Himalayan sea salt

Above are the ‘must have’ ingredients Below are optional additions that add a lot of flavor.

• Peppers (bell, jalapeno or banana)
• lime juice

I usually add some peppers and lime juice, but if I don’t have those ingredients on hand I can make a good salsa without them!

Using a food processor makes the job of putting this recipe together so much easier.  If you don’t have one a blender will probably do the trick too. Place the tomatoes in the food processor and process until they are the consistency you would like.  We keep ours slightly chunky but you can make the tomatoes into a full puree if you prefer. Do the same with the cilantro, onion and peppers. (when cooking with cilantro use the whole stalk: stem and leaves).  Add it all to a large bowl with your ACV, salt, garlic powder and lime juice if you are using it. Stir. Last step: break out some tortilla chips and see how it tastes.  If it’s not flavorful enough add a little more apple cider vinegar or garlic powder.

Note: if it sits for a while the flavors will blend and taste even better.

If you are a frequent reader you know I’ve disclosed this before, but for those who haven’t heard I’m a dump, pour and dash type of cook. I use my senses to cook instead of measuring cups. So my salsa  along with most of my creations never have the same precise amounts of anything but it’s always close. The above ingredients are all estimations of the right amounts which you can adjust to your own tastebud’s liking!

Our family truly loves this recipe!  It isn’t just the eating part, making it is also a favorite at our house! When my youngest sees tomatoes and food processor coming out, she’s running to grab her chair that makes her tall enough to reach and get in the kitchen to help!  Fresh summer salsa goes great with our other favorite, guacamole and pretty much anything avocado!

I hope you guys enjoy the last few weeks of summer! Man, it’s flown by like I can’t even believe!  This fall and winter you can use this recipe to turn back time and at least savor the flavor of summer, if only for a bit!

Enjoy!

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