Fire-roasted tomato salsa

A great accompaniment to many dishes

I really enjoy fresh salsa, and I eat it with more than just tortilla chips. It brightens up so many dishes, from breakfast burritos to tacos and beyond.

I went to grab my favorite brand from the store and the price was close to $7, so I put it back. It seems that most processed convenience foods have doubled in cost the past few years. I already knew how to make salsa and it takes very little effort and time. I knew that even if I used organic vegetables, I could prepare twice as much salsa for half the price.

There are countless versions of salsas and my recipe is a great way to start experimenting with them. Broiling the vegetables to blacken the skins is the key to getting a rich and slightly smokey flavor. Outside of the 20 minutes or so that it takes to broil the veggies, this recipe only takes about five minutes of prep work.

This recipe makes about four cups of salsa, which can be kept up to a week in the fridge if stored in a Mason jar with a tight-fitting lid.

You can and should season this to your taste, so if it needs a little extra seasoning or lime juice, add that in until it’s perfect for you.

Ingredients:
2 pounds Roma tomatoes
2 large jalapeno peppers
1 poblano pepper
6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
⅔ cup diced onion
Juice from 2 limes
1 teaspoon sea salt
⅔ cup fresh cilantro
Optional: 1/8 teaspoon cumin

Set the broiler of your oven on high and line a baking sheet with foil.

Place the whole tomatoes, peppers and unpeeled (in their husk) garlic cloves on the tray and broil for 10 minutes.

Pull out the tray, flip everything and broil for an additional 10 minutes or so. You will smell the roasted garlic, which needs to come out of the oven after 20 minutes to prevent it from burning. If you think the peppers or tomatoes need more time, roast them for an additional 5 minutes. They should be soft to the touch and have some blackened skin.

Pull the tray out of the oven and allow the vegetables to cool for about 10 minutes. They just need to be cool enough to handle before adding them to your blender.

Use a sharp paring knife to cut out the hard stem of the tomatoes, allowing any juices to fall onto the try.

Cut the stems off the peppers, then slice each one down the middle. Discard the seeds from the poblano.You can reserve the seeds from one jalapeno if you’re unsure about the spice level and add them later if you need to. I use two full, stemmed jalapenos and the salsa is typically on the mild side. If you’re sure you want more heat, you can prepare 3 jalapenos. You also can use serrano chiles, or a mix of the two if you’d like to experiment with different flavors.

Peel off the garlic husks entirely.

Put the tomatoes, peppers and garlic into a blender. Pour any juice from the baking tray in as well. You can do this while they’re still warm.

Pulse the mixture a few times before adding in the fresh diced onion, lime juice and cilantro, stems and all. If you’d like to add cumin, do so now.

Pulse 8-10 more times until the mixture is well blended. Don’t over blend.

Pour into a glass container and allow to cool before refrigerating.

I always taste this again before serving because the flavors can mellow a bit after resting. As I mentioned, you can add a bit more of any ingredient that you’d like to taste more of.

This can separate a bit after resting in the fridge so give it a good stir before serving.

Enjoy and bless your hands! PJC

Jessica Grann is a home chef living in Pittsburgh.