Roasted Tomato Salsa

This is a quick salsa that is a basic quick roasted salsa. We've learned methods of roasting from Rick Bayless...See all of his cook books or show "Mexico, One Plate at a Time" on PBS. Variations of ingredients & amounts of them can be altered to your own preference. We have found this to be a good base to start. Variations will include if you want to roast everything (onion, chiles & garlic), use fresh onion diced & rinsed or no onion at all. Some prefer black pepper, most leave it out. Use this as a base & alter to your own taste. 

Ingredients:

Also can be made as Salsa en Molcajete

1 Can Fire roasted tomatoes (14 oz, Muir Glen or Hunts)

3 Garlic cloves, roasted w/ papery skin on….then removed

1 Jalapeño roasted, stem, seeds and veins removed

¼ C White onion, chopped & rinsed under cold water

¼ C chopped cilantro or use 1/2 tsp crushed oregano

Juice from ½ Lime

kosher salt (½ teaspoon) and black pepper to taste

Place garlic cloves (papery skin on) on a dry skillet preheated on medium heat. Turn them every couple of minutes until the papery skin gets black in spots…roast for about 10 – 12 minutes. Remove from skillet, remove paper skins and place in food processor. Do the same to the jalapeños turn on all side every few minutes until blacked, about 5 – 7 minutes. Cut off stem, cut open and remove seeds & veins inside & place in food processor with the garlic.

Pulse the garlic and jalapeño until roughly chopped.

Add tomatoes & pulse.

Pour into a bowl, add cilantro, onion, lime juice and salt. Adjust salt & lime until flavors seem just right….taste test with spoon instead of a salted chip.

***Variation:

CHILIES: You can substitute the jalapeños with a chipotle chili. One from the  can of chipotles in adobo. Found in the Mexican food eisle. We puree the whole can and keep in the fridge in Tupperware for 6 months. When making salsa, we’ll start with a teaspoon and add to it if we want more heat & flavor of chili. A chipotle is a smoked jalapeño.

TOMATOES: in the summer. Use 5 – 6 medium sized tomatoes. Roast under broiler on a cookie sheet for 5 minutes on top, turn over a roast the bottom for 5 minutes. They will be very blackened. Cool. Remove the skin and place in food processor with all the juices.