Salsa Fresca

by Michelle

   Growing up in the Southwest has meant eating excellent Mexican food over the course of my lifetime. My taste buds would be very sad indeed without the cuisine that hails from south of the border. Mexican food is the first thing I want after returning home from a long trip. After being sick, I know I am surely on the road to recovery when I begin to crave tacos with lots of fresh salsa.
   This particular salsa is great party food served in a glass bowl alongside tortilla chips and homemade guacamole and washed down with our favorite margaritas. If I'm feeling especially energetic, I make mango salsa, too. My friends really appreciate homemade salsas and the spicy condiments are usually consumed rather quickly. Therefore, sometimes I'll make two batches for a party, reserving a bowl of each to be set out as part of a dinner buffet. Dido for the guacamole.

Linda's Salsa Fresca

   Salsa Fresca is a first cousin to Pico de Gallo resplendent with the flavors of  ripe tomatoes, chiles, onions and lime juice. Scoop it up with chips, spoon the fresh mix into burritos, or for extra zing heap a healthy serving on top of a taco salad. Although the recipe calls for yellow onion, you can also successfully use a diced red onion or sweet yellow onion, if you like.
   As with any dish that primarily uses fresh ingredients, you need beautiful deeply colored ripe red tomatoes for this recipe. If it is the heart of winter, without access to hot-house tomatoes you will be better off making a different kind of salsa, one that Joan, my mother-in-law would occasionaly make with canned tomatoes that is entirely different than the fresh concoction offered here. Of the two, I would always choose fresh, but hey, when your jonesing for some salsa, just about anything will do over having no salsa at all!

1-2 medium limes, freshly squeezed
1-2 medium jalapeno chiles, stemmed, seeded and finely diced
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and finely diced
5-6 medium vine-ripened or hot-house tomatoes, diced
1 4-oz can diced green chiles, such as Hatch green chiles
1 6-oz can black olives, drained and sliced into rounds, optional
2-3 Tbsps minced parsley
3-4 dashes Tobasco
1-2 spashes olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Procedure:
1. Squeeze the limes and add the juice to a medium sized bowl. Add the minced jalapenos and stir, then the diced onions. Stir again. Add the tomatoes (leaving most of the seeds behind on the cutting board), canned chilies, olives (if using), salt, pepper,Tobasco and olive oil. Let sit for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with chips and guacamole or as a garnish for any of your favorite Mexican foods.
2. This salsa is best the day it is made, served at room temperature although it will last several days, covered in the refrigerator.