Garden Fresh Tomato Salsa

Simple, delicious and +5 eco-smugness points if you use your own tomatoes!

Posted 10 September 2009 in Garden-09, The Mundane Homemade. Tags: condiments, jalapeno, onion, salsa, tomato.

This is neither hard, nor original. And that’s the point. Great tasting food doesn’t have to be complicated, or take a long time to prepare, or even, in this case, have to be cooked.

I make this every time we make fajitas. It’s also great on its own with a bag of nachos.

What I like about this salsa is that you can taste everything in it. Everybody brings something to the party. I normally use tomatoes from the grocery store, but since it’s tomato season right now, I have more than I know what to do with. And in non-tomato-y colours, too.

Some people don’t like cilantro, and I mean they really don’t. They’re missing some gene or have an extra one or something such that cilantro tastes like soap. Tragic. Leave it out if you must. The jalapeno can dominate if you’re not careful. If you don’t want too much heat, don’t add the seeds or the pith to the salsa, just the flesh of the pepper.

Makes about 2 cups

• 2 medium tomatoes
• salt
• 1/2 onion
• 1 jalapeno
• handful of cilantro, finally chopped
• Juice of 1 lime

Chop the tomatoes into small dice. Salt them generously and let sit in a colander to drain the excess water away for about 10 minutes.

Dice the onion and mince the jalapeno. Combine the tomatoes, onion, jalapeno and cilantro. Add the lime juice. Stir to combine. Let sit for 15 minutes so everyone can get to know each other.