Simple Summer Salsa

I love chips and salsa, especially in the summertime.

While I do like the more exotic salsas with pineapple and lime and corn and avocado, my favorite salsas are more traditional, just your tomato-and-cilantro numbers with a few other goodies thrown into the mix.

Just a simple summer salsa.

So that's what I set out to make with the abundance of tomatoes from my garden.

It doesn't take a lot of ingredients or a lot of time, really.

Let's get rollin'!

Ingredients

(makes about one pint of salsa)

approximately 2 pounds of tomatoes (I used about half roma, half better boy.)

one tablespoon tomato paste

1/3 cup chopped white onion

4 oz. can chopped green chiles

one tablespoon cilantro

one tablespoon garlic salt

1.  Boil the tomatoes for 30-45 seconds to soften the skins.

 

2. Remove from water and place into cold/ice water to stop the cooking process and cool them for handling.

3.  Peel away all of the skin from each tomato.  They should be soft and easily removable.  Also cut out any soft spots or bruises.

 

4.  Slice the tomatoes in half and remove the hard inner "core" as well as all the juice and seeds (you only want the fleshy tomato walls in your salsa).  Place the desired tomato parts in a colandar over a sink or bowl to further drain.  I stir them to further remove remaining liquid (tomatoes are *extremely* juicy.)

5.  According to how chunky you want your salsa to be, remove 1/4-1/3 of your tomatoes to a cutting board, coarsely chop, and set aside.  (These will not be used in step 6.)

 

6.  Place the remaining tomatoes in a food processor (I use a magic bullet) and process till smooth.

7.  Place processed tomatoes in a large saucepan on stovetop.  Add chopped tomatoes, onion, and chiles.  Add tomato paste to thicken salsa.  Bring to a boil, stirring continuously.  Reduce to medium heat.  At this stage, I used a measuring cup to drain off 1/3 cup of excess water from my salsa as it cooked.  Add cilantro and garlic salt (you may, of course, adjust these quantities to taste and add other seasonings, such as basil or cumin, as desired!).  Let simmer for 20 minutes.

8.  Ladle salsa into jars, chill, and enjoy!

 Fresh and bold...just like summer!