Supernatural Botanicals

Once you’ve had homemade salsa, you’ll never go back to vinegar-tinged jarred salsa again.  This salsa recipe mimics that of Mexican restaurants in that it’s made with fresh ingredients and, of course, made without vinegar.  It’s super impressive to whip up some salsa on the fly for when friends or family stops by.  I make mine in a food processor, but you can also use a blender.  Tweak it to your liking, add more peppers.  This recipe makes a medium-hot salsa. 

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Ingredients: 

Huge handful of fresh cilantro.

1 clove of garlic.

3 small jalapenos. 

1 small onion. 

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Ingredients: 

2 14 oz cans of whole tomatoes.

2 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes with green chiles.

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Dice onion

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Slice jalapenos long ways

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Then dice jalapenos, seeds and all to give it a nice kick

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Dice 1 clove of garlic

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Combine canned tomatoes, onion, jalapenos and garlic in the food processor. 

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Add a teaspoon (or so) of sugar

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Add a teaspoon of ground cumin to give it a good “Mexican” flavor.  Then pulse the food processor about 4-6 times, depending on how chunky you like it.  Keep pulsing if you like your salsa a thinner consistency. 

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Here’s where it all comes together.  Cilantro.  Use a lot of it.  It gives it a good garden taste.  I use a huge handful, and then pulse for 4 more pulses. 

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And there you have homemade salsa.  I blend mine to a medium consistency.  Serve with chips, with tacos, steaks, etc.  Great to have in the fridge all week long to accompany your dinners, and exceptionally good for a low-calorie snack. 

Allow me to save your hands from excruciating pain. Never, ever, ever chop hot peppers without rubber gloves on.  I made the most beautifully delicious fresh Pico de Gallo from my garden tonight.  It was only three peppers….I figured why not?  Pulling the seeds from my Garden Salsa Peppers with my fingers seemed fine…at first.  But as time went on, my hands started to burn from the caspian (the component that brings the heat) in the peppers. 

If you’ve already committed the crime, try hand sanitizer with a high alcohol content.  Dawn dishwashing liquid also helps.  Wash hands over and over.  Avoid contact with any other part of your body….or your husband’s body! 

This is a look at my backyard garden today.  My purple hydrangea from the Farmers Market this past Saturday still looks great today, Thursday.  I change the water in the vase every other day, and add sweet lemon thyme to the vase, free floating.  It’s such a great look for clear vases.  Tender young green leaf lettuce is in full bloom.  My Roma tomatoes have their first bud, a single tiny green ball.  The Tabasco pepper plant has tiny little yellow peppers budding everywhere.  (editorial note….these peppers are as hot as fire!)  Very young Jalapenos, two single stubby peppers emerging out, in the past few days.  Cayenne peppers are green, and will turn red if you leave them on the vine long enough.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7drx7gwO0Ww

Pico de Gallo Recipe

Ingredients
* 6 medium Tomatoes diced
* 1 medium Onion diced
* 1/4 cup fresh Cilantro chopped (grow your own)
* 2 to 4 fresh Serrano or jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
* pinch of garlic powder and salt to taste (fresh squeezed lime is great as well.)

Put all ingredients in a bowl add 1/2 cup of cold water, mix well.  Let set a few minutes before eating; even better over night in the fridge.  This is great on everything, i.e., organic corn chips or blue chips, chicken, fish, tacos, enchiladas, soups, etc.  Great for picnics.