Salsa

The tomatoes are in full swing in the garden. Ya gotta love August around here! I’ve got tomatoes, squash, apples, lemons, and various herbs available for the picking out back. I skipped planting my winter crops of garlic and onions last year and am really missing them when it’s time to make salsa! I’m pretty flexible with my salsa. Sometimes I add garlic; sometimes I leave it out. Sometimes I add jalapenos or green chilies; sometimes I leave them out. The essential ingredients, for my taste buds, are:

• fresh tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• onion (white or green), chopped
• fresh cilantro
• salt
• a squeeze of lime juice if you have it, but it’s okay to leave it out

Optionally add:

• minced garlic
• minced jalapeno or green chiles

You can expand beyond the basic tomato and cilantro version by adding chopped ripe mango or peaches and some fresh minced ginger. Then it makes a great topping for fish or pork.