Salsas

Salsas are a wonderful and easy way to use up a bunch of summer tomatoes!

I'm sharing with you, a Kiwi-Jalapeno Salsa and Creamy Artichoke Salsa, but really they are a basic recipe. Use as many or as little of the ingredients, as you wish.  Jalapenos and onions can vary in taste and heat, so what was perfect for my salsa, may be too hot or too mild for your tastes. Add ingredients, subtract, make them your own!  It's hard to go wrong with salsa! :)

Roasting jalapenos is easy and only takes a few minutes. Just slice in half lengthwise, take out the seeds and veins, sprinkle with olive oil and kosher salt, give a little mix around, and put in a hot preheated oven, about 450 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, or until you hear them sizzling and one side is starting to blacken.

Stick them in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and in about 5 minutes, or until they're cooled enough to handle, the skins will slip off and you'll have a bunch of nicely roasted jalapenos. They can be kept in the freezer so you can just cut off whatever amount you wish to add to eggs, stews, chilis, anything!

I am also in LOVE with the tender, mild celery flavor of celery leaves. I used these to garnish the salsas instead of the popular cilantro. I'm just not a huge fan of cilantro and find celery leaves are a great, fresh substitute, without overpowering a dish.  So when you celery shop, choose a celery bunch with a lot of nice, bushy leaves on the inside.

Without further ado, the recipes:

Artichoke Salsa

• 2 cups chopped tomatoes, squish the seeds and pulp out of most of them, so the salsa isn't too watery.
• 1 (6 ounce) jar marinated artichokes, drained and rough chopped
• 1/2 cup red onions, small diced
• 3 Tablespoons mayo
• 1 1/2 Tablespoon sour cream
• 1/2 (4ounce) can green chilies, undrained 
• 3 cloves roasted garlic, chopped up
• 3-5 roasted jalapenos, depending on heat level of them and your heat preference, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, crushed with your fingertips as you add it in
• tiny pinch red pepper flakes, crushed with your fingertips as you add in
• pinch cayenne
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• celery leaves for garnish
  
  Combine all except mayo and sour cream and chill.  Be sure to taste and adjust heat and salt level.  Go a little at a time and test again after you've chilled it for about an hour. Drain any excess juice, then add mayo and sour cream. With kitchen shears, snip a bunch of celery leaves and mix in. Serve with pita chips, tacos, just about anything..I was ready to just eat it with a fork! haha!  If it's not creamy enough for you, you can make more mayo sauce, just remember 1 part sour cream to 2 parts mayo.

 Kiwi-Jalapeno Salsa

I'm not a huge fan of really hot salsas, but I love how the sweet kiwis balance out the heat and the sweet-hot salsa is addictive!  As always, adjust amount of jalapenos to your heat preference.

• 2 cups chopped tomatoe
• 1/2 cup small diced red onion 
• 2 small kiwis, peeled and diced
• 1/2 (4 ounce) can green chilies with liquid
• 3-4 roasted jalapenos, depending on size and heat, chopped
• 1-2 raw jalapenos, deveined and seeded, finely chopped
• 2 cloves roasted garlic, chopped
• dash cayenne
• pinch salt and black pepper
• the juice of one small lime
• garnish with celery leaves or cilantro, if desired

Combine all, being sure to taste for heat and salt levels, and chill! That's it!
Yum!