In honor of “Tomato Thursday” at A Way to Garden, I’m offering up my favorite thing to do with a batch of tomatoes…never fails to get rave reviews…never fails to surprise people used to only processed salsa.
I don’t measure when I make this. You can mix/match proportions to suit your taste, but be sure you have more tomatoes than anything else. And, the chopping gets old, but I never use a food processor — too mushy. It’s worth the effort to chop by hand.
Crazy Good Fresh Salsa
5 ripe tomatoes, chopped, maybe seed a few if they seem too sloppy
1/2 cup chopped onion (more to taste, can mix & match sweet, red, green)
1/2 of a green pepper, chopped (can also add half of a red pepper and/or yellow pepper too)
1/2 of a large cucumber, peeled, seeded, & chopped
1 or 2 jalapenos, minced (to taste, seeded or not to suit your heat preference)
big handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
small glop of olive oil
fresh ground pepper
sprinkling of coarse salt (I don’t use much)
Combine chopped tomatoes and veggies. Stir in a glop of olive oil. Season with pepper and salt. Stir in chopped cilantro. Let the flavors meld for a while. Chill or serve at room temperature with tortilla chips (my favorite is Snyders low fat or multigrain).
Eat yourself silly — it’s a healthy addiction.
Home grown tomatoes, home grown tomatoes
What would life be like without homegrown tomatoes
Only two things that money can’t buy
That’s true love and home grown tomatoes
~ John Denver, ‘Home Grown Tomatoes’
(song and lyrics by Guy Clark)
Writing by Ear 
mel said,
Thursday, August 14, 2008 at 4:59 pm
mmmmmmm. my mouth is watering!!!
a few years ago, we had a bumper crop of tomatillos (little green tomatoes) and we made salsa “verde”–pretty similar, but the little greenies stood in for regular tomatoes, and we added a splash of lime, I think… it’s ALL good.
barbie said,
Friday, August 15, 2008 at 9:24 am
MY FAVORITE!!!! I’ve tried to duplicate yours, but it just doesn’t come out the same – must be your advanced non-measuring, ingredient combination skills (who can teach that???) and just the right amount of glop and sprinkling. Eat some for me!
WritingbyEar said,
Friday, August 15, 2008 at 9:31 am
I’ve made this a few times this summer, but haven’t had really good tomatoes. They really do make it extra special. Mel, your salsa verde sounds bueno!!! I sometimes add a splash of lime juice to my salsa, too, if I have a lime on hand (and am willing to sacrifice it from my gin & tonic).