Tomato Salsa

This is a great uncooked sauce which is very quick and easy to make if you have an electric ‘whizzing’ machine of some kind! It has a wonderfully fresh and tangy flavour and should be used within a few days. Salsas like this are widely made to accompany Mexican foods, and are great to use with vegetable strips and baked tortilla shapes or other crisp cracker-type dippers.

Although usually made with fresh ingredients, it is just fine (or sometimes even better) made with ingredients from your pantry and refrigerator. The quantities given may be varied.

(Makes one cup)

Ingredients

• 1 small red, white or yellow onion
• 1 large clove garlic
• 2-4 tsp jalapeno peppers (from a jar)
• 1 Tbsp liquid from the jar of peppers
• 1 Tbsp lime or lemon juice, fresh or bottled
• 2 spring onions (white and lower green parts)
• ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves if available
• 1 tsp olive or other oil
• 2 Tbsp chopped red capsicums
• 1 tsp ground cumin, optional
• liquid from ½ a 400g can chopped tomatoes
• chopped tomatoes from ½ a 400g can
• salt, pepper and a little sugar or sweetener to taste

Method

Put everything (roughly chopped where necessary) except the last two ingredients into the bowl of a blender or food processor. Process in bursts until everything is in about 5mm cubes.

Add the drained canned cubed tomatoes and process very briefly. Taste the salsa, adjust seasons to suit yourself, then refrigerate up to 48 hours.

Serve immediately as a dip or a sauce over cooked foods.

Variations

Replace the canned tomatoes with very ripe and flavourful fresh tomatoes. Add chillies or chilli mixtures to taste. The salsa must contain onion of some sort, garlic, citrus juice and tomatoes, but the other ingredients are optional. Look for jars of jalapeno peppers in the Mexican food section of supermarkets. Once opened, they keep for months in the refrigerator.

Suggested Wines To Go With Today's Recipe:-

Sauvignon Blanc:

Jacksons Estate 2006

Church Road 2006

Grenache:

Armantes Old Bush Vine

Hewitson Miss Harry Dry Grown Ancient Barossa Valley 2005