We Marylanders are perfectly situated to enjoy a summer favorite, the salsa. What makes it so appealing to us is that the produce of August and September is just what we need to make great salsa. Chef Jerry Pellegrino knows that the combinations of home-grown ingredients are endless.
To be sure, salsa is nothing more than chopped vegetables and fruit coated with a tangy dressing. It can be used as a condiment or a side dish, and the main idea is that it should be fresh and refreshing.
Salsas are a great way to take advantage of summer produce. Combinations are only limited by your imagination. Remember, when making a salsa, try to balance the four basic tastes; sweet (ripe fruits and vegetables, honey or agave), sour (citrus juices or vinegar), bitter (raw garlic or onions) and salty (salt, fish sauce or soy sauce) in a way that makes your creation refreshing, light and tasty.
Here is a recipe for one of the most famous salsas, Pico de Gallo:
PICO DE GALLO
Ingredients:
3 red onions cut into ¼ inch dice
12 Roma tomatoes, seeded and cut into ¼ inch dice
2 cups fresh cilantro leaves
2 jalapenos, seeded and cut into fine dice
2 limes, zest & juice
Salt to taste
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Serve at room temperature with freshly made tortilla chips.
As you can see, the recipes is very straightforward and easy to prepare. Here’s another one that features charred yellow peppers.
CHARRED YELLOW PEPPER SALSA
Ingredients:
½ pound roma tomatoes cut in half
½ pound yellow bell peppers
2 jalapeños
1 large dried guajillo chilies
1 large dried ancho chilies
1 large yellow onion cut into ¼ inch dice
4 whole garlic cloves, sliced
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon agave nectar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Char the tomatoes, peppers and jalapeno either on the grill or with a torch until the skin is dark brown. In a sauté pan set over medium heat, cook the onion and garlic in the oil until soft and translucent. Split the dried chilies down the middle and remove the seeds, using the tip of your knife to loosen if necessary. Roughly chop them and add to the onions and garlic. Add a few tablespoons of water and cook the chilies. Add more water if necessary as they hydrate for 5 minutes. Place all ingredients in a food processor set with the chopping blade and pulse to purée the salsa. The consistency is up to you, Amy likes it smoother, I tend to like it a little chunky.
Here are two recipes that feature some of the mainstays of Maryland summer produce:
SMOKED CORN & TOMATO SALSA – adopted from Steven Raichlen’s Book ‘Project Smoke’
Ingredients:
4 ripe tomatoes cut in half
3 ears sweet corn, roasted in the husk until tender, shucked and cut in half
1 small red onion, cut into ¼ inch dice
½ cup fresh cilantro
2 lemons, zest & juice
The idea for this salsa is to smoke all of the vegetables in a smoker for about 15 minutes. What we do is to smoke the tomatoes and the corn with our smoking gun (four rounds of Applewood smoke in a large bowl, 15 minutes each) and leave the onion crisp and fresh.
Smoke the corn and tomato in a bowl on a rack with a smoking gun. Dice the tomato and cut the corn from the cob. Combine the tomato and corn with the remaining ingredients and season with salt.
SPICY PEACH SALSA
Ingredients:
6 cups finely chopped pitted peeled peaches (about 3 lb or 9 medium)
1 cup finely chopped seeded roasted red bell pepper (about 1 large)
1 cup finely chopped red onion (about 1 large)
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic (about 14 cloves)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ¼ cups honey
¾ cup malt vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons hot pepper flakes
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons salt
In a saucepan set over medium high heat, cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft and translucent. Add the remaining ingredients and cook just until the peaches are warm. Serve immediately.