Winter Salsa

I have a deep love of Mexican Food. I love it in all forms, from the truly authentic to the Tex-Mex versions of the Southwest to the completely bastardized yet still delicious American adaptations. Rarely do I go a few days without eating Mexican food in some way or another.

And salsa is a big part of this love.

I have a friend whose Mom makes killer salsa. Every time I visit she always has at least two different kinds of salsa and they are always amazing. She has been nice enough to teach me how to make several Mexican dishes such as tamales, chili verde, and mole, but I have yet to learn the secrets to her salsa. I have got to get on that; in fact, it may have just become my new year’s resolution.

I have been on a quest for the ultimate salsa for a while now and it seems to be neverending. Even when I find one that is delicious, I’m always trying new recipes in hopes of finding that perfect balance of heat and flavor. So far my favorite red salsa variations involve either roasting or grilling the tomatoes and most of the other ingredients until they’re blistered all over and then processing them with some cilantro and lime juice until it’s an even consistency.

It’s winter though. I have a hard time buying tomatoes in the winter. In fact, I avoid it if at all possible. There is such a huge difference between a fresh off the vine summer tomato and a watered down winter version that I just don’t prefer to go there. But as I mentioned before, I love salsa. So going too long without it is just not an option.

Luckily I stumbled upon this recipe on Homesick Texan. When I first read the recipe I was skeptical. Mainly because it called for (gasp!) canned tomatoes. But I forged ahead and the results were surprising. This salsa is good. It was made with canned tomatoes. I was shocked. I used canned fire-roasted tomatoes which I think actually adds a little bit of smokiness to the salsa. The recipe originally called for the juice of half a lime but I’m a big fan of lime flavor in my salsa so I squeezed the heck out of two whole limes. Salsa is all about personal preference though. A little more lime juice, additional peppers for heat, less cilantro; it can all be adjusted until it suits your liking.
I will probably always be on that quest for the perfect salsa recipe. So this may not be the be-all and end-all salsa recipe that I’m looking for, but it is sure a darn good one when you’ve got a craving in the dead of winter.

Winter Salsa
Adapted from Homesick Texan

2 (14 oz) cans fire roasted tomatoes
2 serrano peppers, diced
1 cup of cilantro leaves
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 cup diced onion
1 tablespoon of chile powder (add more to taste, if you like)
Salt to taste
a dash of sugar
Juice from 1-2 limes

Put all ingredients in the blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

(Ha! How great is a recipe with just one sentence for directions? Pretty great I think.)