I love how easy it is to make fresh salsa, and for some reasons salsa’s intimidated me for a long time and I avoided making them even though I loved them.  So one day I decided to just give it a go, and this is what I came up with and love and haven’t really changed too much – with the exception of the amount of heat I add to it.  In a bowl add 3 cups chopped tomatoes, 1 cup minced onion (red or white), 1 bunch of cilantro chopped, 3-5 tbs salt (you’ll want to do this to taste – but the salt draws the flavor out of the tomatoes, so it’s important), 2 tsp of ground pepper, 1/2 lime juiced, pepper minced (serrano, or jalapeno, or habanero – depending on the type of heat you like.  Also with or without seeds and veins – depending on how much you like to block out what tomorrow’s going to feel like), 2 tbs. white vinegar.  Stir it up and let it sit in the refrigerator for an hour or so, so all the flavors can mix together.

Another sauce I love, and I’m sure there’s a name for it, but I just created it and will find out what it is later.  Put the following in a blender.  Bunch of cilantro roughly chopped, 1/2 cup onion, 4-5 cloves garlic peeled, 1/2 lime juice, 1 tsp vinegar, pinch salt and pepper, couple of tomatillos (you can parboil them to soften them up if you want, I’ve done it both ways and like it both ways – fresh and softened), 1/2 cup olive oil.  Start blending and add additional olive oil until the sauce will drip freely off of a spoon.  You want a sauce, not sludge.  I love this for dipping any meats in.  I made a pork loin last week with a mustard and thyme rub – it was great.  The next day I dipped it in this cilantro sauce – and it was amazing.

I love salsa and would love to hear your own recipes.