... fresh, spicy, tangy, sweet, rich -&- roasted ...
I love salsa, and I have been craving it like crazy lately.
Living in California for half my life, salsa was always present, from the many local taquerias to kind neighbors sending their delicious wares over in hard times or celebrations or attending a town-wide salsa contest.
Fresh, spicy, scalding, mild, sweet, salty, rich, gentle, roasted, hand-cut, or blended, salsa was always present…until its delightful & eventual devouring.
( Where’d all the salsa go? Oh, right, IN MY BELLY !!! )
A kind co-worker and neighbor recently gave me some serrano peppers from her garden, and holy cow, they pack da heat!! (Plus, now is around the time of year when peppers and tomatoes start coming in, and it’s an excellent way to eat up all those lovely veggies.) However, I’ll save those for a special custom fermented hot sauce (soon to see in the coming weeks).
Right now, though, I’m in a hella bad salsa mood; I want something tangy, smoky, and adventurous. I make fresh salsa more than any other in my house, but I wanted to do a cooked salsa this time, change it up, and explore new flavors and ingredients.
So, there are a few methods we’ll be employing here…and a few secret ingredients we’ll be using today!
As far as flavor, I want lots of lime, definitely, without question. Lots of garlic, too. I want a roasted, sweet, concentrated flavor, but I don’t want the bitterness of char. Cooked, but with a freshness to it, and something a bit unusual & lovely in there to compliment the smokiness. So, we’ll add a couple of teaspoons of an unexpected ingredient – pomegranate molasses.
Not 100% traditional, no. Once you try it, though, you’ll see how it bridges the chipotle with the lime quite beautifully.
We’re also using dehydrated lime juice & lime oil turned into a powder, also known as True Lime (this is NOT sponsored by them at all. I keep a shaker of True Lime in my cabinet at all times; it is 100% natural, tastes shockingly close to fresh lime juice, and has such a wide plethora of applications it’s impossible to list them all here now; it’s a great addition); this adds an intense lime flavor while not increasing the liquid content of the salsa unnecessarily. If you can’t find dehydrated lime powder, a fantastic alternative is Limon Mexican candy salt; it can work just as well. If you’re cool with the calcium stearate* ingredient in it (* noted as ‘generally vegan,’ but can’t be guaranteed vegan 100% of the time), feel free to use it! It’s up to your own boundaries. (I remember using this years ago before True Lime was a thing!)
Okay, I’m for real hungry.
Get yer chips ready. Let’s get into it!
AuthorGinny ClarkCategoryBreakfast, Sides & Extras, Snacky ThingsDifficultyBeginnerPreheat oven to 425℉.
Put a small pot of water on to come to a gentle-to-medium boil (not a rolling boil).
Take head of garlic, and slice it in ½ widthwise. Coat the exposed cut garlic part of both halves with one teaspoon olive oil (keeping the halves intact), wrap in foil (create like a tight pouch for them out of the foil), and pop in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until soft and lightly caramelized.
Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle.
Squeeze out the garlic from it’s paper shell, and set aside. (Discard the paper shell.)
While the garlic is roasting, pop the tomatoes into the boiling water and cook, turning once in a while, until the skins are clearly trying to come off and it has softened a bit, about 10 minutes.
Remove from water and let cool enough to handle.
While the tomatoes are going, peel and slice onion roughly thin (it’ll be blended later, no stress), and place in a hot pan with two teaspoons olive oil and a pinch of salt. Cook on medium-high heat until they start to brown, then add a splash of water, reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for about 10-15 minutes, until translucent and evenly caramelized.
Stir and remove from heat.
Place one cooked tomato, the chipotle pepper, roasted garlic, pomegranate molasses, True Lime/Limón powder, and kosher salt in a food processor/high-speed blender, and blend until smooth.
Add the rest of the cooked tomatoes, caramelized onion, and a handful of washed cilantro. Pulse or blend until your personal desired consistency.
Store in the fridge for up to 7-days.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 425℉.
Put a small pot of water on to come to a gentle-to-medium boil (not a rolling boil).
Take head of garlic, and slice it in ½ widthwise. Coat the exposed cut garlic part of both halves with one teaspoon olive oil (keeping the halves intact), wrap in foil (create like a tight pouch for them out of the foil), and pop in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until soft and lightly caramelized.
Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle.
Squeeze out the garlic from it’s paper shell, and set aside. (Discard the paper shell.)
While the garlic is roasting, pop the tomatoes into the boiling water and cook, turning once in a while, until the skins are clearly trying to come off and it has softened a bit, about 10 minutes.
Remove from water and let cool enough to handle.
While the tomatoes are going, peel and slice onion roughly thin (it’ll be blended later, no stress), and place in a hot pan with two teaspoons olive oil and a pinch of salt. Cook on medium-high heat until they start to brown, then add a splash of water, reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for about 10-15 minutes, until translucent and evenly caramelized.
Stir and remove from heat.
Place one cooked tomato, the chipotle pepper, roasted garlic, pomegranate molasses, True Lime/Limón powder, and kosher salt in a food processor/high-speed blender, and blend until smooth.
Add the rest of the cooked tomatoes, caramelized onion, and a handful of washed cilantro. Pulse or blend until your personal desired consistency.
Store in the fridge for up to 7-days.
