Firework Salsa: Heat Up Your Fourth of July

Fresh ingredients are the key to incredible salsa. If possible gather vegetables from your garden or farmers market. When my tomatoes aren’t ready for harvest, I get organic “On the Vine” tomatoes or heirloom tomatoes from the local farmers market. Why? Because you don’t want something that’s been sprayed with ripening agents or has traveled hundreds of miles, it’s way more cool (and more healthy) to grow your own or buy local.
 
My neighbor cuts up every ingredient for her homemade salsa, bless her heart, but for my impatient heart, there is my Cuisinart food processor (any food processor will do).
 

---

Ingredients:

4 large garden tomatoes

1 large Vidalia onion

1.5 jalapeño
peppers

1 green Pepper

3 cloves of garlic

¼ can of Chilpotle peppers in adobo sauce

½ -1 cup of cilantro leaves (no stems)

1 teaspoon fresh ground peppercorn

1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt ground

1 teaspoon of cumin powder

1 teaspoon of chipolte chili pepper

2 tablespoon white vinegar

½ of organic lime juiced

Step 1
Cut tomatoes in quarters. Pulse in food processor a couple times, DO not blend, this will make tomato juice. Leave tomatoes partially chopped. Pour into mesh strainer and put tomato juice aside.

Step 2
Slice peppers in strips and de-seed and de-stem. Use a glove for Jalapeno, juice will burn your skin. Add ¼ of the 12 oz can of chipolte peppers in adobo sauce, more if you desire a smokier taste. Finely chop the garlic cloves. Put all four ingredients into processor and pulse until chopped, but not blended.

Step 3
Add back the strained tomatoes to the mix of peppers and garlic. Add the salt, pepper, cumin, chipolte chili pepper powder, juice of lime, vinegar and leaves of cilantro (no stems) to the mix. Pulse until blended 3-6 times, don’t over blend. Sample with a tortilla chip to determine the salinity factor or salt level, (chips that are salted alter the taste of the salsa). If you prefer less spicy add in 1-2 extra tomatoes and additional lime juice. Otherwise Happy Fourth and enjoy the savory fireworks!

Chill salsa before serving. Drain if you prefer less liquid, and add to tomato juice liquid. Save this mixture for homemade Bloody Mary’s on the 5th! Cheers.