Salsa

I actually got some tomatoes from my hail-beaten garden! Last night I used them to make my famous salsa--really a pico de gallo. I loosely use Molly Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook recipe, but it's best if you just eye the amounts and don't measure anything too exactly.

Tomato Salsa

Ingredients:
3 medium-sized ripe tomatoes
2 scallions, finely minced
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
A handful of parsley, finely minced
A handful of cilantro, finely minced
1 teaspoon lightly toasted cumin seeds
3/4 to 1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Crushed red pepper, to taste
1 jigger tequila

Drop the tomatoes into simmering water for 10 seconds. Take them out, pull off the skins and squeeze out the seeds.

Dice the remaining pulp. Combine tomatoes with remaining ingredients in a small bowl or container. Cover tightly and chill. Yield: 11/2 to 2 cups.

Now here's the most important step (and my variation on Katzen's recipe): while you're making the salsa, about half way through, stop and do the shot of tequila. I promise this will make your salsa taste better! You know, the whole making food with love kind of thing.

The longer you leave your salsa, the better it will taste. I often check after about an hour and end up adding more crushed red pepper. It will get hotter with time though.

I tried to take a picture, but apparently when you photograph salsa with a Blackberry it turns out looking like puke.