| According to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, | | | | flavors and bring out a more hearty, yet natural smoky |
| SALSA refers to "a spicy sauce of tomatoes, onions | | | | flavor. Next time you're in the mood to add zest to a |
| and hot peppers". Of course, it also refers to Latin | | | | meal, try this very spicy yet flavorful salsa: |
| American music and dance, but that's far from my | | | | 3/4 pound yellow tomatoes |
| area of expertise so I'll stick with what I know. | | | | 3 orange Habanero peppers |
| My first experience with salsa goes way back to early | | | | 3 Scotch Bonnet peppers |
| childhood and Pace Picante Sauce which from my | | | | 1 Large Mango |
| recollection was virtually the only salsa that was readily | | | | 1 yellow bell pepper |
| available in grocery stores. Suffice to say, since then, | | | | 1/2 cup onion |
| "we've come a long way baby!" Whether shopping for | | | | 2 cloves garlic |
| salsa in your hometown market or online, there are | | | | 1 tablespoon lime juice |
| now literally hundreds, perhaps thousands, of salsas to | | | | 1/2 teaspoon sugar |
| choose from. However, the next time you feel a | | | | 1/2 teaspoon salt |
| creative flare in the culinary department and have a | | | | Carefully oven-roast the yellow tomatoes being careful |
| little extra time on your hands, whipping up a batch of | | | | not to blacken them - then dice (diced sections should |
| your own homemade salsa can be a great deal of | | | | be as big as the end of your little finger). Finely chop |
| fun. | | | | the onion, mince the garlic, and dice the yellow bell |
| Making your own salsa is really quite simple, the only | | | | (same size as tomatoes) - combine together and |
| potentially cumbersome part of the process is roasting | | | | saute' for 3 to 5 minutes. Put in fridge to cool. Roast |
| your peppers and removing their skin. This can be a | | | | the Habanero and Scotch Bonnet peppers and |
| little tricky the first time out because the tendency is to | | | | remove skins. Combine peppers with lime juice, sugar |
| char or blacken the pepper too much, but don't get | | | | and salt and puree'. Peel, pit and dice mangos (same |
| discouraged, it won't take long before you master the | | | | size as tomatoes and bell pepper). Blend diced |
| technique. Dependent on what type of salsa you're | | | | tomatoes, bell pepper and mango into puree' and |
| making it's often a good idea to roast the majority of | | | | serve. |
| your ingredients (i.e. - peppers, tomatoes, garlic, corn, | | | | This chunky, spicy salsa offers a very unique taste |
| etc.) because roasting tends to concentrate the | | | | and is great on chips, chops or seafood. Enjoy! |