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basic roasted salsa

Yields8 Servings

salsa

ingredients
 2 lbs tomatoes or tomatillos
 12 jalapeños (milder) or serrano (hotter) chiles
 34 cloves garlic
 12 tbsp chopped cilantro
 salt + pepper, to taste
 red wine vinegar or lime juice, to taste
 raw honey, if needed
method
1

Move the oven rack so that it's one level down from the highest setting. Turn the broiler on and line the broiler pan with foil (easier to clean and you want to save the juice!)

2

If using tomatoes, cut them in half and place them, cut side up, on the foil. If using tomatillos, remove their papery skins and wash them in warm water until they no longer feel soapy before cutting in half and placing, cut side up, on the foil.

3

Cut the chile peppers in half, then use a small spoon to scrape out the seeds—or leave them in for more heat. Place chiles skin side up on the foil.

4

Peel garlic and place whole cloves on the foil.

5

Broil the vegetables 3–5 minutes, then check them. If the garlic is browning, turn the cloves over and broil 2–3 minutes more. Remove the chiles and garlic when they are brown. Continue checking on the tomatoes and tomatillos at 2-minute intervals—they should start to blister and turn black but not get completely scorched.

6

Allow all the vegetables to cool slightly, then place them in the food processor fitted with a metal blade and purée until smooth. You may want to thin with some of the accumulated juices.

7

Add cilantro and salt and pepper to taste, then taste the salsa. Too sweet? Add some vinegar or lime juice. Too sour? Add a bit of honey. Keep adjusting the flavor until it's just right!

variations + fl!ps
8

If you have the grill on anyway, take advantage of it and grill the vegetables, cut side up, on a piece of foil instead of broiling them.

9

Got green tomatoes at the end of the season? If you're worried they'll freeze, use them in this recipe—you might need to add a bit more honey if they're really sour.

10

Experiment with dried chiles that you find in the grocery store or at the farmers' market: after wiping them with a damp cloth, toast them lightly in a dry skillet, cover them with boiling water, and let them sit for 30 minutes to rehydrate. Pat dry and add to the processor with the vegetables. My favorites are guajillos (do I detect some chocolate?) and chipotle chiles. You can thin the salsa with a bit of the soaking water if necessary.

do ahead
11

Cool the salsa to room temperature, then put in tightly-covered glass jars. They will last very well in the refrigerator—up to two weeks. After refrigerating overnight, salsa can be frozen for up to 6 months—make sure there's about 1" of space between the liquid and the lid if you're going to freeze it. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

12

Don't have time to make salsa but have tons of vegetables to process? You can broil them, let them cool, refrigerate overnight, then package them up in "salsa packs"—enough for 1 recipe in each package—and freeze them. When you're ready for salsa, thaw a pack overnight, then proceed from step 6.

related blog post
13

https://simply-healthcoaching.com/green-tomatoes

other
14

© Elizabeth A. Baker, LLC. All rights reserved.
Photo by Chuk Nowak, 2016 for Fl!p Your K!tchen® (visit the shop page)
Pottery bowls by Oran Hesterman

Nutrition Facts

Servings 8

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