Fresh Tomato Salsa
- Servings: Makes about 2 cups.
In this quick salsa, in-season local tomatoes become even more lively with the addition of jalapeño and Serrano peppers and lime juice.
Beefsteak or New Jersey tomatoes are peeled, seeded and chopped. Then half of the tomato is puréed with peppers, and onion, adding body to the salsa but leaving tomato chunks for texture and a more dominant tomato taste.
I recommend using a light hand with the cilantro, one of the herbs, like dill, for which I think "less is more." If you really love a cilantro-dominated salsa, start with a small amount and add more gradually.
Cilantro is harvested with its roots and the leaves can be sandy. Be sure to rinse the leaves thoroughly or else you'll have a sandy salsa.
Ingredients
- 3 large tomatoes, peeled, cored and seeded. Cut half of the tomatoes into 1/2-inch pieces (makes about 1 1/2 cups) and leave the rest as big pieces. Discard the seeds and juice from the tomatoes.
- 1/3 cup red or white onion, chopped
- 2 Serrano peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 to 8 grinds of black pepper
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (I prefer to discard the stems and only use the leaves)
Directions
- Place the peeled, seeded and chopped tomato in a large bowl and hold aside.
- Place the big, unchopped pieces of peeled and seeded tomato in a blender or food processor. Add the chopped onion, Serrano and jalapeno pepper, salt, black pepper and 2 tablespoons of the lime juice and pulse to combine into a thick puree.
- Add this puree to the chopped tomato and combine.
- Add the cilantro and taste for seasoning, adding more cilantro, salt or lime juice to your preference.
Serve with corn chips, toasted pita bread, or as a sauce with your favorite fish, shellfish or chicken served at room temperature.
