Salsa is as easy to make as it is delicious, and its uses go far beyond a topping for nacho chips! Once I started making my own, I couldn’t bear to eat store-bought salsa from a jar again.

INGREDIENTS

3 medium ripe tomatoes
1 small onion -or- a small bunch of scallions
1 fresh jalapeno pepper
lemon juice to taste
lime juice to taste
seat salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS
1.  Quarter tomatoes and onion, place in food processor along with jalapeno and process using the pulse setting until desired consistency is reached.

2.  Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl and add lemon and/or lime juice and sea salt to taste.

I can’t give a precise measurement here because it changes every time I make it depending on the flavor in the fresh ingredients.You might notice that I do not skin the tomatoes. It is a personal preference; I don’t find that it changes the flavor or texture noticeably, so it isn’t worth my time.

Now with that basic recipe under our belts, here are a few optional ingredients for you to experiment with:

cilantro (I know you expect to see it in the basic recipe, but I don’t like the taste)

red, yellow or green pepper

whole kernel corn

black beans (drained and rinsed)

fresh pineapple

tequila (adults only, please!)

I usually make my salsa in large batches because it can easily be used in recipes after you’re tired of snacking on it. Reduced on the stove with some minced garlic, herbs and spices of your choosing, it makes a phenomenal marinara sauce. It works brilliantly in a fresh veggie salad. It also works very well with cocktail shrimp.

My favorite use for my fresh salsa is to use coffee filters to strain off the excess liquid (save it for making broth later!) and use the thicker, more formable mixture as a topping for veggie burgers.