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Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Quick Summer Salsa


I have been eating light meals during these summer days and found myself thinking about creating a complex flavored salsa without the work of chopping multiple items.  I hit on the idea of buying a quality salsa from my local health food store, not the thick, jarred kind, but a refrigerated, juicy salsa made by a local farmer. It was loaded with tomatoes and young onions, with a taste of pepper, cilantro and garlic.

 About this time I came upon a sale on mangoes and avocados and bought one of each for my creation. For the past two days they have ripened on the kitchen counter and one more day would have tipped them over the edge of ripeness. So, this morning I snipped a handful of fresh cilantro, basil and mint from my herb garden, took out my salsa bowl and set to work. Into the bowl went the tomato salsa, along with the diced avocado, cubed mango and the minced herbs. The juice of half a lime tied it all together and with a side of whole grain and seed chips a lovely appetizer was born.

Actually, this salsa could be served over fresh grilled fish or shrimp (if you can any that are not contaminated) or for vegetarians serve it over grilled tofu, tempeh or a big fat Sun burger. The complex flavors of sweet and sour, sweet and salty, bitter and sweet, with a distant pungent taste are just enough to put a smile on your face. Let me know how you serve it in your home, I'd love to know.

Summer Salsa
Makes about 4 cups

1 16 ounce container of Tomato salsa, with juice
1 ripe avocado, diced
1 ripe mango, cubed into small pieces
Handful of fresh herbs, minced = about 2 tablespoons each or more of your favorite:
cilantro, basil, mint
Juice of half a lime or more as your taste dictates.

In a medium size bowl combine all the ingredients and mix well. Chill before serving if you can wait that long. It looks great served in a colorful dish to match the reds and golds of the salsa.

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