The tomato harvest has been lackluster this year. Weird weather has caused the fruit to be small and slow to ripen. Some I’m afraid are not going to ripen at all. The San Marzano, which should be about the size of a Roma, look more like cherry tomatoes. Early Girls are anything but early and no bigger than golf balls. And I have to wonder what the Park Wonders would look like in a good year – beefsteak size for sure. Flavor has been great on all of them, but I take comfort in that. 
Since the jalapenos are not only abundant this year, but incredibly hot, I decided to try and roast them to bring out a bit of the sweetness. It wasn’t all that successful, but I did manage to make a couple of jars of pickled jalapeno and freeze them to use sparingly in cooking over the winter.
I set a few aside to make salsas this week. I went with Fresh Salsa (recipe below) and Cucumber Salsa to cut some of the heat (recipe here).
For most of the summer, whenever I grill, I toss an onion on to the grill and let it roast until the grill cools down, so usually about 20-30 minutes on the back of the grate. The flavor can’t be beat and it slips right out of the skin. I refrigerate and add to various recipes. This week, it’s the salsas.
As the weather cools, I may roast a dozen or so and freeze them – they lose their shape but are great in soups and stews and with roasts.
Fresh and Easy Salsa
- 4 tomatoes, quartered
- 6 green onions
- 2 tsp crushed garlic
- ½ to 1 bunch cilantro, remove stems
- 2 to 4 jalapenos*, remove stems
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- dash of limejuice if desired
blender or food processor
In blender or food processor, add all ingredients and coarsely chop until blended well**. If you can make a day ahead, it gets even better. Seal in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week.
**If you prefer a chunkier style salsa, you’d be better off chopping vegetables by hand.
How is your garden looking this summer?
x-posted at What’s 4 Dinner Solutions
Annie DeMoranville 