Whenever I look at jarred salsa, the one kind I always search out is a black bean and corn salsa.  I love those!  The beans and corn add such a nice texture to the salsa.  It even allows me to handle a more spicier salsa because somehow the beans and corn seem to tame down the assertive peppers.

Eventually I wondered to myself if one could make salsa with black beans and corn as the main ingredient instead of them being added into a tomato based salsa.

You’re never going to know the answer to your question until you try it, right?  So that’s exactly what I set out to do and now I cannot get enough of this salsa.  I could pretty much consume the entire batch myself without giving it a second thought!   This salsa is super easy to make and takes maybe 10 minutes at most to prepare.

Andrea’s Black Bean and Corn Salsa

• 1 15oz Can of Black Beans (drained and rinsed)
• 2C of Fresh Summer Corn
• 1/4-1/2 Red Onion, finely chopped
• 1 Jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
• The Juice of 1/2-1 Whole Lime
• Sprinkle of Salt and Black Pepper, (about 1/2tsp each)
• 1/2-1tsp Chili Powder
• 1/2tsp Garlic Powder
• Cilantro, to taste, finely chopped

In a large glass mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and allow to sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

This salsa smells good even before you add the seasonings to it!  It is so fresh and crisp tasting that it screams summer and backyard relaxing.  I add a bunch of cilantro because I love it but again, you can add as much or as little as you like.

This salsa also will easily take on additional veggies if you want to toss some in there.  This batch, I actually added in about half a diced red pepper for added color and crunch.

You want to cut the corn off the cob while it’s raw.  I have a handy tip about cutting corn off the cob to help you with that task!  If you don’t really want to eat raw corn, you can sautee the kernels for about two minutes in some olive oil.  Raw corn is so good in this dish though!  It’s sweet and crunchy and almost delicate tasting.

If you don’t have fresh corn because maybe it’s dead of winter, you can sub in 2C of frozen corn easily.  Just thaw them a bit first and drain off some of the excess water.

The reason I have “The Juice of 1/2-1 Whole Lime” is because the lime and your taste preference will determine the amount needed. If you have a super juicy lime, you may only need 1/2 of it or you might think a whole lime is too much of a good thing.  Start with 1/2 and see where that takes you.  I normally use a whole lime though.

Fresh black beans that you made is totally acceptable!  I would guess around 2C of those would be a good starting point.

This salsa has been a huge staple for us this summer!  It’s been so hot and humid this year that eating a hot dinner isn’t always that appealing, so we’ve been eating this in all kinds of different ways.  It’s perfect for just snacking with tortilla chips as well!  I probably already told you this smells fantastic, right?  A typical Scott comment is, “I don’t know what you’re doing, but it smells amazing over there!”

If you love beans and corn, make yourself some of this salsa!  It’s summer in a bowl!

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

Recently a reader contacted me with a question about my Roasted Tomato Salsa.  Then she asked me about a green salsa.  She said that her favorite Mexican restaurant serves this green salsa but that it’s not made with tomatillo.

Curious!

Because when we think of green salsa, we automatically think of tomatillos, right? Those little green things that look like tomatoes but are located with all the peppers.  She mentioned that the server didn’t really know what the salsa was because it was a secret but that they thought it was made from jalapenos.

While this could very well be the case, imagine how many jalapenos you would have to use to get the amount of salsa needed to serve an entire restaurant.  Exactly!  A crazy huge number!  I thought about it for a little bit then said well maybe they used poblano peppers.  They are green and might be able to produce a nice salsa.

The more I thought about it, the more I was very interested in playing around with the poblanos to see if they do make for a good salsa.  Cooking is always a big experiment anyway, right?  So I got to it!

Andrea’s Roasted Green Salsa

• 4 Large Poblano Peppers (seeded, chunked)
• 1 Large Red Tomato (cut into sections)
• 2 Cloves of Garlic
• 1/2 a Medium Onion (chunked)
• 1 Chipotle Pepper + One heaping spoonful of adobo sauce
• Juice of 1/2 a Lime
• Cilantro to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive Oil for cooking

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat the peppers and tomato pieces with olive oil, a very small amount, around 3 tsp.  Sprinkle with just a touch of salt and place on a lined baking sheet.  Roast in oven for about 10 minutes or until everything is warmed through and softened.  You’ll be able to smell them and that’s when they are about done and ready to come out.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.  In a food processor, combine the peppers and tomato along with all the other ingredients.  Pulse until you get the consistency you like.  I prefer a smoother salsa, so I pulse mine for a few minutes.

Taste and see if more salt and pepper needs to be added.  I used probably around 1/2 tsp of salt in mine.  Serve with chips and veggies!

I was very impressed with this salsa!  It was so yummy and totally unexpected!  It’s not your typical “green” salsa and that is what thrills me the most I think.  It gives you a little twist on the norm.

This salsa isn’t overly spicy hot but instead it has a nice background heat that builds the more you eat.  I wanted to do something different to bring spice to the table which is why I used the chipotle pepper instead of a fresh jalapeno or something along those lines.  The chipotle gives a lovely smoky heat and provides color to the salsa.

I love that with this salsa not only do you have the green but you can see little flecks of red and white throughout letting you know that some other things are going on to bring in flavor.  Scott and I really enjoyed this salsa!

I used a bunch of cilantro in this salsa because I love it so much but you can use however much you want.  And if you want to kick the heat up more, add in more chipotles!  It’s a very easy salsa to play around with.

It does not last long though.  While my Roasted Tomato Salsa, if stored in a glass tupperware container, will easily last you over a week, this green salsa only has about a three to four day shelf life.  For some reason the peppers don’t last nearly as long.  You shouldn’t have trouble with it going bad on you though!

Have fun guys and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

The first salsa to be showcased this week is a fruit salsa.  I have heard many mentions of people eating salsa made from pineapple and mango but yet I’ve never come across any!  I haven’t seen a recipe, nor a jar of it in the store, not even seeing it listed on a menu someplace.

The pineapple and mango salsa has been out of my grasp!  I decided that it couldn’t be that hard to make and tried my hand at making a test batch.  The first step was getting some fresh mango and fresh pineapple which can be tricky depending on the season and what your grocery store has available.  Fresh ingredients are necessary though so make sure you have these for salsa time!

Andrea’s Pineapple Mango Salsa

• 1 large mango, peeled and chopped
• 1C Fresh pineapple finely chopped
• 1/4 of a Red Onion finely chopped
• 1 Jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• Juice of 1/2 a lime
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh cilantro, chopped,  for garnish

Combine all ingredients in a small glass mixing bowl and allow to sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.

I was a little skeptical at first because I’m never sure how a fruit is going to taste when paired with savory things but this salsa delivered!  It’s sweet with a hint of spice and heat from the onion.  The lime juice and cilantro keep things light and summery tasting.

If you have a mango that is a bit hard because it’s slightly under ripe, you can quickly sautee it up with the pineapple, onions, and jalapeno in a touch of olive oil for about two minutes.  Remove from heat and then mix in the lime juice and cilantro.

This makes a great addition to any summer cookout or backyard party!  Perfectly paired with tortilla chips, you’ll be snacking while getting in your fruit servings for the day!

Have fun guys and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

Other OHC Salsas:

Roasted Tomato Salsa

Watermelon Salsa

I again bring your attention to the fact that it’s summertime and that means HOT.  Or if you live where I do, it means HUMID with a side of sticky.  You don’t really want to do much of anything except take time out to sip on something delicious and preferably very cold.

I do not drink mixed drinks because that kind of alcohol always seems a little heavy on my stomach.  Plus a lot of drinks are made so they are super sweet and I’m not one for sweet.  Even with wine I do not like sweet.  Scott on the other hand likes mixed drinks a great deal and I will occasionally make him a little sumptin’ sumptin’ to sip on while dinner cooks or perhaps while he’s manning the grill out back.

This new drink just came to me not that long ago and it ended up being a beautiful combo.  Scott loves it and it’s super easy to make.

Andrea’s Coconut Lime Spritzer

• The juice of half a fresh lime + one slice for garnish
• 2oz of Coconut Rum
• Lime Seltzer

In a small tumbler squeeze in the lime juice and add the rum.  Fill the glass the rest of the way with the lime seltzer.  Stir, add the lime slice for a garnish and serve!

Does it get any easier?  Even I can take a few sips of this drink and be very happy about it!  The drink is cool and has a crisp taste from the lime and the seltzer.  The rum isn’t overpowering and the drink doesn’t come across as overly sweet.  It’s a nice sipping cocktail and perfect for a hot day.

Having a party?  Make this your signature drink!  One of the best party tips is that if you are going to serve drinks, consider making a signature drink to serve instead of having multiple types of beer or wine available.  This way it helps you stretch a buck while still entertaining your guests with class.

This drink is perfect for that!  Because does it get any cheaper than seltzer?  You can get liters of it for under a $1.  Most stores will even offer up deals where you can buy 5 for $5.  I know that Giant Eagle and Whole Foods both have such deals.  I prefer the Whole Foods seltzer because it’s a bit fizzier in my opinion but any seltzer will work!

Now you have a nice refreshing drink for Thirsty Thursday!

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food drinks!  Enjoy!

However cottage cheese can be a great source of vitamins and protein making it a lovely addition to other things.  My favorite way to eat cottage cheese is actually mixed in with some oatmeal.  It gets warm and takes on the sweetness of the oats.  There’s no more chunky texture but instead a nice lovely smooth and creamy texture to the oats.

I also make another warm dish with cottage cheese but you’ll have to wait on that recipe!

Since I’ve cooked with cottage cheese it then occurred to me that I could most likely bake with it as well.  I had some cottage cheese that needed used up before it went past its prime and I figured this would be a good time to test out baking with it.

Andrea’s Blueberry Cottage Cheese Bread

• 1 1/2C Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (or regular WW flour)
• 1C Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2tsp Baking Soda
• 1tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4C Sugar
• 1/2tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1C Blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 1/4C Soymilk (can use Vanilla if you like)
• 1 Overripe banana
• 1C 2% Cottage Cheese (small curd)
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 350 and spray a loaf pan with nonstick spray (or oil of your choice).  In a large mixing bowl combine: Flours, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, and cinnamon.  Combine with a whisk, and whisk for at least a minute or two.  In a smaller bowl combine the banana and soymilk.  Mash the banana and stir till it combines with the soymilk.  Then add in the cottage cheese and vanilla extract, combine again.  Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and gently stir until everything is well mixed.  Add in the blueberries and also gently combine.

The dough will be a bit heavy but should be moist.  If it seems a bit dry, add in more soymilk, a tablespoon at a time until the dough holds together.  It will be sticky.  Place dough in the greased loaf pan and bake until cooked through.  About 30 minutes or so.  Insert a toothpick, if it comes out clean, the bread is done.  If it comes out with dough, keep cooking.

Allow bread to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing.  Serve and enjoy!

I love when cooking experiments come out fabulous and that’s exactly what happened with this bread.  It is delicious!  It is a moist soft bread with a slight crumble which means it’s perfect for just about everything.  I normally have it as a dessert with some wine but this paired with coffee or tea would be a great combo as well!  Because this dough is thick, it’s sort of lumpy in the loaf pan creating a nice rustic look to it when it finishes baking.

The blueberries give it a nice color and is a great way to use up some of the summer berries that are now plentiful.  You cannot taste the cottage cheese at all, it just melts into the bread leaving behind a few sprinkles of white here and there.

This bread has it all, whole grains, fruit, and protein which means you can feel good about eating that third slice.

This could probably be made into muffins as well for a brunch that you’re hosting or if you’re looking for something festive to take to the 4th of July party you are headed to.  We’re currently out of the bread but I do have some blueberries and cottage cheese on hand so I might need to make another loaf!

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

Oh?

I love dill very much.  It is probably my very favorite herb and no I’m not kidding you.  I also love really great cheddar and combing the two seemed like a great concept.  While I didn’t really want a scone to snack on, I did think that this could be transferred to a great biscuit.

The first time I made this was years ago using a drop biscuit method.  I used really poor cheddar, factory farmed milk, and some Bisquick.  Oh yeah totally not something that would be considered healthy but instead more likely to be found as an option at The Red Lobster.   You know what I mean.

Now I have several years of baking under my belt which has given me more experience and new techniques that can be applied to many different things.  My outlook and choice of ingredients have also greatly changed since the early days.  Now I like to keep things simple, more homemade, and incorporating more whole grains into the mix.

It wasn’t long until that same cheddar dill scone recipe cycled back around and it sparked me to try out the biscuits again making them more healthy yet still totally delicious.

Andrea’s Cheddar Dill Buttons

• 1C Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1C Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (or regular WW flour)
• 2tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2tsp Baking Soda
• 1tsp Organic Cane Sugar
• Pinch Salt
• 1tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 1/2 TBSP Dried Dill
• 1C Shredded Cheddar (I like Cabot. Use a good cheddar)
• 1 1/4C Plain soymilk (unsweetened if you can get it)
• 2TBSP Light olive oil

In a large mixing bowl, combine everything except the oil, soymilk, and cheddar.  In a smaller bowl, combine the oil and soymilk.  Place both bowls in the fridge for at least 1/2 an hour.  An hour is better if you can swing it.  Also keep the cheese chilled.

Preheat your oven to 375 once you are sure all ingredients are adequately cold.  Add the cheddar to the dry ingredients and then slowly add in the liquid.  Stir and mix gently until all ingredients are well combined.  The dough will be very thick.

Drop by spoonfuls on a baking or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  These are called “buttons” so you want them small, about two to three bites once baked.  They will puff up as they cook.  A heaping tablespoon should give you the right amount.

Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Yields about 32 biscuits.

These biscuits are light and fluffy and full of flavor!  The dill totally shines while being complimented by the cheddar but not overpowered.    By chilling the ingredients, this helps the biscuits to be light as air instead of being dense and overly chewy.

The are great as snacks or accompanying a meal.  We’ve had them with soups, grilled foods, and also as part of an appetizer mix.  I eat them as is but if you want to sneak a smidge of butter on there who can blame you?

These little cuties are perfect to take along to your next potluck or BBQ.  They go great with everything and can sit out for extended periods of time without being compromised.

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

Blogging also helps us get the chance to sample products we might otherwise never have known about.  One of my blogging buddies, Lori, sent me this tea for my birthday earlier this year.  She’s in Kentucky and sent me a blend of tea made at a local Inn.  Elmwood Inn is located in Perryville, KY and they’ve been making teas since 1990.  Once a public tea room, they now focus exclusively on selling and importing teas.

The tea Lori sent me is Elmwood’s Kentucky Blend Tea which is a combo of different Chinese black teas.  The first mug of this I had, was on an unseasonably cold April afternoon.  It was perfect!  Sometimes black teas can have a bit of a bitter finish to them but this was very smooth and needed very little honey to help balance it out.

Right away I knew that I wanted to make a drink with this tea!  Since the Inn itself has a deep Kentucky history and because the name of the tea also includes Kentucky, I had to obviously honor the state south of me.  After some thinking, I came up with a great afternoon drink!

Andrea’s Kentucky Summer Sippin’ Tea

• 12oz of Iced Tea
• Half an orange
• 1 Orange slice
• 1oz Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey

For my iced tea, I used 3 bags of Elmwood Inn Kentucky Blend Tea and 3 bags of regular black tea.

Add the juice of half an orange into a glass, then add the bourbon.  Pour the iced tea on top and stir.  Garnish with an orange slice and start sippin’ away!

This tea was so good!  I’m not a huge hard liquor person so I literally only had a few sips but what I did have, I honestly enjoyed.  I made this for Scott to sip on while he manned the grill for our Homespun Sunday Supper.  He loved it!

The bourbon doesn’t weight the tea down at all, it stays light and sweet.  The orange juice brings just a bit of freshness to the tea brightening up the flavor.  It goes down very smooth and you’ll most definitely contemplate having another with your meal.

I think some mint leaves or a squeeze of lime added to the mix would also work here!  We have more tea left so I’m going to assume that this will get made again in the near future.

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

My mom even had a Mr. Coffee iced tea maker for a while but to be honest I was never really down with it.  It worked alright but it didn’t make things any easier really.  Making iced tea isn’t something that is very hard or time consuming.

When Scott and I first moved in together, our iced tea worlds collided.  He comes from an Instant Family so you can see how we would have butted heads.  I couldn’t get over someone liking a “fake” tea spawned from a powder containing lord knows what, when I could make iced tea that had three ingredients: Tea, water, sugar.

Eventually his addiction to powdered tea phased out and now he’s converted to proper iced tea.  I tell myself this is a result of his ever developing palate and not due to the fact that I finally declared that, “I’m not buying that stuff anymore.”  I’m pretty sure it’s the first scenario.

Making iced tea is really simple! And it can be a great beverage to have on occasion and especially handy when entertaining guests.  Plus, tea is really versatile and you can make so many different kinds!

Andrea’s Basic Iced Tea

• 6 tea bags (like Lipton or your choice of whatever)
• 2 Quarts boiling water
• 1/2C Cane sugar
• 1 gallon glass pitcher
• Extra water

Either in your gallon pitcher or another glass container, add the tea bags and cover with boiling water.  Allow to steep for at least half an hour.  Remove tea bags and add the sugar, stir.  If you are not using the gallon pitcher for steeping the tea bags, then pour the tea into that at this point.  Top off with cold water until the gallon pitcher is full.

Chill, serve over ice, and enjoy!

When I say that tea is versatile, I mean that with this basic recipe you can change it up to suit your tastes!  Maybe you like green tea, use those instead.  Like mint tea?  Use half regular tea bags and half peppermint tea bags.

For fruit teas, the same half and half rule applies with using your favorite fruit tea or herbal tea blend.

Only have loose leaf teas?  Use a tea infuser!

Fresh fruit can be added to iced tea for some extra flavor and punch.  Even fruit juices can be added to teas!

Fresh herbs can be added to tea for a savory or minty background note.

Want a stronger tea? Just use more tea bags and steep for a bit longer.

I love iced tea most especially in the summer.  It’s a great drink to have as you’re sitting on the back patio enjoying a quiet moment or a tending to the grill.

Are you an iced tea drinker? What is your favorite kind of ice tea?  A Long Island Iced Tea doesn’t count!

Cheddar Chipotle Puffs that were paired with Rogue Chipotle Ale.  Cleverness!

To briefly recap, the idea behind the party was to pair a craft beer with a food item that you made.  I really wanted to bring a Rogue beer since it fit the criteria of a craft beer and it’s also easy for me to get my hands on.  Then I had to decide what to pair it with.  Once I knew that I was going to use the Chipotle Ale then a dish utilizing chipotles was the obvious choice.

I didn’t want the chipotles to be too overpowering though.  They can really bring the heat and I wanted to keep the heat level moderate enough that you could tell it was there but it didn’t blow your socks off.

I decided to make little “puffs” because they are bite size and would be super easy to transport.  After a few tweakings I got the recipe down.  It is a food of love type recipe which means it will take you some time but it’s totally worth it!

Andrea’s Cheddar Chipotle Puffs

• 2C Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• 1C Unbleached All Purpose Flour
• 1/2tsp Baking Soda
• 1tsp Salt
• 2tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/2tsp Chili Powder
• 1/2tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1/2C Water
• 1/2C Light Olive Oil
• 2 Chipotle peppers + 2 tsp of the adobo sauce
• 1tsp Honey
• 1C Grated Cheddar Cheese

In a large mixing bowl add in the flours, baking soda, salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika.  Whisk until combined.  Place mixing bowl in fridge.  Also in the fridge place the 1/2C of water and 1/2C of olive oil.  Allow to chill for at least half an hour.

Then add the dry ingredients to a stand mixer bowl.  In a food processor, add in the water, oil, chipotles with sauce, and the honey.  Pulse until the chipotles are broken down and fully incorporated into the wet ingredients.  Add this mixture to the dry ingredients gently combining them all.  The dough will be dense and thick.  Once the ingredients are combined, add in the shredded cheddar until it is mixed throughout the dough.

Roll the dough out onto a flat surface sprinkled with flour and give it a few extra kneads.  Wrap in plastic wrap and place in fridge for an hour or until it sets back up.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment or a silpat.  Remove from fridge and split dough into two parts.  One part goes back in the fridge while you work with the remaining half.  On a floured surface roll dough out till about a 1/4 of an inch thick.  Using a small round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut dough into several pieces.  Rerolling out the dough as needed.  You should get several puffs just from one half of the dough.  Place puffs on cookie sheet and they can be relatively close together.  They “puff” up not out.  Bake for about 10 minutes.  The puffs should be “puffed” and springy to the touch.  Remove from cookie sheet and allow to cool.

Repeat with remaining half of the dough.

These are best served slightly warm but can be eaten at room temperature as well.  Depending on the size of the cutter you use will determine how many puffs you end up with.  I used a small biscuit cutter that was almost 2 inches in diameter which resulted in a ton of puffs!  YaY!

These puffs smell so so good as they are baking!  They are also mighty tasty too! Scott loved them and so did I.  These also freeze very well and can be pulled out when you want a quick snack or a quick appetizer for guests.

I also made these subbing in some spelt flour instead of the whole wheat and they worked just as well.  You can add more cheese if you like, just keep in mind that you want these to puff up, so too much cheese might inhibit that a bit.

Using cold ingredients helps make these puffs puff!  I have also made a batch with cold ingredients but did not put the dough in the fridge before rolling it out and baking.  It turned out alright and will work if you are short on time.  However if you have the time, allow the dough to chill for a bit first.  It makes the puffs a little more fluffy.

So how did these pair with the Chipotle Ale?  AMAZING!  A bite of puff followed with a swish of ale totally brought out the chipotle flavor of the ale a great deal.  The ale became spicy with some heat at the finish creating a very unique drinking experience.  Since the ale is cold, the spicy and heat give your taste-buds a sort of tingle that they weren’t expecting.

These little puffs are great for entertaining or bringing to your next potluck.  If you like savory flavors and cheese, you’ll love these!

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

Recently I had some baby heirloom tomatoes that needed used up before they turned on me.  I was flip-flopping about what to make with them when I decided that I would try making salsa again.  This time I had a different plan of attack; roasting.

There is fresh salsa that can be made with all raw ingredients and then there is salsa where the tomatoes are cooked.  I prefer cooked tomatoes but will gladly take some raw salsa off your hands if need be.

I threw caution to the wind, crossed my fingers, and hoped that this salsa would turn out delicious.

Andrea’s Roasted Tomato Salsa

• 1 1/2 lbs Baby heirloom tomatoes
• 1/4-1/3 Of a Small onion, chunked
• 1 Jalapeno, seeded
• 2 Cloves of garlic
• Juice of 1/2 a lime
• Handful of cilantro
• Small amount of olive oil (about 2 tsp)
• Sprinkle of salt and ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.  In a storage bag or medium size bowl combine tomatoes, jalapeno, garlic cloves, olive oil, salt, and pepper.  If you have slightly bigger tomatoes, you can cut them in half first.  Place tomatoes on the baking sheet and roast in oven for about 10 minutes.  You want the tomatoes to be warmed through and just starting to break down.  They will look like this:

Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.  Once cooled, dump this mixture into a food processor, add in the lime juice, onion, and cilantro.  Pulse until you get the texture you desire.  I like a slightly smoother salsa.  Taste test to see if you need to add a bit more salt, cilantro, or lime juice.  Remove from food processor and place in a glass or other nonreactive bowl.  Can be served warm or chilled!

Holy cow guys this was the best salsa I ever made!  Scott and I literally could not stop eating it and I started thinking of all different kinds of ways I could use it up!  I’m also planning on making more as soon as I can!

You do not have to use baby heirlooms, I just happened to have those on hand.  You can use cherry or grape tomatoes.  Heck you can even use regular tomatoes if you want, this was more of a technique that I wanted to share with you.

I kept the onion raw because the salsas I ended up liking the most had this comb of cooked tomatoes and raw onion.  I roasted the garlic with the tomatoes in order to cut the sharpness that raw garlic can have.  I like garlic anyway you want to throw it at me but I also realize that not everyone feels the same way.  Roasting the garlic also helps cut down on potential dragon breath.  We’ve all experienced that, right?

I’ve been playing around with salsas a lot lately so you can expect to see more this summer!

If you’re looking to try your hand at making salsa at home, try roasting the tomatoes, you might be surprised by the outcome!

Have fun guys and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

Related recipes:

Watermelon Salsa

Lentil Tacos