Southwest Salsa

(Yea, yea, I know . . . This isn't a bread.  But I have tortillas coming down the pike, so it is relevant.  Besides, who doesn't like a nice snack of salsa and chips every so often?)

When I first moved here, everyone raved about the salsa made by the ladies at the local grill.  But until I got a job working there, I had no thought of ever making salsa myself.  Then I saw how easy it was . . .

Salsa is most definitely not rocket science; flavors can be added or subtracted depending on taste.  For example, when I first got there, the lady who usually made the salsa put in canned tomatoes (What? Canned tomatoes? Really?), onion, jalapenos, and Mrs. Dash seasoning.  Another lady who sometimes took a turn put in salt instead of Mrs. Dash.  And when a lady who owned a restaurant in Mexico began making the salsa, she completely omitted the onion, using only the tomatoes, jalapenos, and salt.  (Until she persuaded the manager to order cilantro . . .)

Nowadays, I can't eat jalapenos, which is a real shame.  When I worked at the grill, I greatly enjoyed the salsa the other ladies made, even if I used it sparingly, while they ate it with a spoon.  But it was during that time I developed a geographic tongue, and so became very sensitive to anything very spicy or acidic.  (The ladies used to laugh at me eating cottage cheese after whatever delectable spicy dish they had made in an effort to neutralize the effects of the jalapenos.)  I finally came to the disappointing realization there was nothing I could do to help the situation but to avoid the foods which caused me pain, regardless of how delicious they looked and smelled.

So when I set out to make salsa for my family taco night, I changed the ingredients to suit our taste.

Ingredients:

Can of tomatos.  (Doesn't matter if they are chopped or whole.  I use unsalted, because I prefer to control the amount of salt myself.)
Onion (About a half of a large onion.)
Green chili or jalapenos (I used mild green chili--only about 2/3 the can shown.)
Cilantro (I used about a quarter of the cilantro pictured.)
Salt to taste (I used less than a teaspoon here.)

In a blender, toss in the can of tomatoes, including the liquid.  Add onion, green chili, and cilantro, as desired.  Turn it on and blend as much as you want--less for chunkier, more for more uniform.  Add salt to taste.  This made about 2.5 cups of salsa when I did it.

And there you have it!  Fresh salsa, ready to enjoy!  (Pass the chips!)

This will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.  (Possibly longer if you used jalepenos, because of the chemicals involved, but I wouldn't push it past two weeks.)  The flavors will blend over time, so be cautious if you choose to use jalapenos.  What may be tolerable today may turn out very hot in a couple more days.