Salsa: Not The Dance!

About ten years ago there was a potluck at my job.  Someone brought a bowl of salsa.  It was really more like a pico de gallo, but he called it salsa and that is what I call it. 

It was so good that I kept going back for more.  Finally I asked for the recipe and stopped on the way home for the ingredients.  John came home to find me making food. After he fell over and I revived him, he tried it.

He liked it, too. A new favorite was born. 

We decided to blog about it after we started, so there isn't an ingredient stack picture.  But you will see the parts.  There isn't really a recipe, but you know when it is right.

You start with tomatoes.  I like the Roma for this.  They are meaty without too much juice.  Once you get things mixing, there is a lot of juice.

I strain the chopped tomatoes to cut down on the liquid. 

The first time I made this I used a food processor. That is what the recipe told me to do!  I am a recipe girl.  That is why I enjoy baking.  You add the ingredients in the right order and the correct measurements and you have success.  John likes to experiment.  We later got the Vidalia Onion Chopper and it saved us.  It chops them just right.  We love a gadget!

We add peppers.  A couple of green ones and a yellow one.  It makes a colorful salsa. 

Then we add a red onion.  I don't know why they call it a red onion.  It is really more purple.

Then John minces up the garlic. We buy garlic in bulk.  No vampires coming to our house.

Then there are olives.  I don't like olives.  I really don't like olives.  Not black ones.  Not green ones.  When I got the recipe and saw olives, I was shocked.  I tried to make it without them and something critical was missing.  So I added them and it was right.  It is the only thing I like olives in.  John chops them up super small so I can't see them.  Isn't he nice?

We add cilantro  It gives it a really fresh flavor.  I actually prefer the dried cilantro for this.  I have used fresh and it really changed the taste.

Lots of lime juice.  We use about half of one of those little fake limes. 

Then we add salt and pepper.  With all the tomatoes, it takes a lot.  We haven't been eating much salt lately so I thought I'd added too much at first, but it was better after adding another tomato. 

The last thing you add is the avocado.  You need to mix all the other ingredients and get it all tasting right before you add the avocado, so it doesn't get all smooshed up.  Dice up the avocado and fold it in.

It does take some testing to make sure it is right.  At a point all of it magically comes together.  The flavors are so fresh.  It is summertime in a bowl.

We have to taste it to make sure it is perfect.  Scoops were made for this salsa.

We also got new mixing bowls...perfect for holding fresh salsa. This stuff is so good it will always all get eaten at potlucks or big dinners, so make sure you save a little so you can have some for yourself!