ANYWHERE SALSA
HERE'S THE THING ABOUT SALSA
There are no rules. Grab whatever fresh and juicy vegetables and fruit you can get your hands on and blend them up with some seasonings and you’re bound to make something special. The reason why salsa is one of my favorite summertime vacation treats to whip up is because you can tap in to the local culture and geographical produce and make something unique every time. Camping trip to Tallulah Gorge State Park in Georgia? Scoop up some fresh peaches and see how throwing some sweet peaches can ignite your taste buds. Taking the caravan to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico? You’ll be able to pick up some locally grown green chili peppers just about anywhere you go to toss in your salsa concoction. Summer trip to Jackson Hole to float the Snake River? You may be surprised what you can find at a local farmers market. If you time it out just right, you may even be able to snatch up some fresh huckleberries to tart-up your spicy salsa. So, on your next adventure, keep your eyes and taste buds open to the local treasures you’re sure to find with a quick peruse through the local market.
As I mentioned, there are no rules with salsa but if you want some inspiration, you can’t go wrong if you start with a few of the basics to get to your base and then throw in whatever flavor hero you can find locally.
- Ripe tomatoes, cored and quartered (Roma tomatoes work great and are less watery than others. You can also use canned tomatoes with hatch chilies to make things even easier)
- Red onion
- Garlic cloves
- Jalapeños – make sure to get those seeds out if you want to lower the heat
- Cilantro
- Fresh lime juice
- Ground cumin
- Salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar
- Diced green chilies
