Salsa, or summer goodness

Sometimes when I am alone I talk to myself....okay, all the time I am alone I talk to myself. Sometimes I have a pseudo conversation but mostly I just pretend off-the-wall things. Like yesterday I was pretending that I was on food network teaching everyone how to make fresh salsa. I really do like to make salsa. I like to eat salsa. It tastes like summer. It's easy and I think I have a good formula. So here is my formula. And just imagine me in my kitchen talking to myself because I will never be on the food network!

Salsa
or
summer goodness: chopped up small

start with the fruit

(Tomatoes...or if you are feeling it: mangoes, pineapple or peaches)
this is the base and you should have more of this than anything else

add mild peppers
(any color of bell, or Anaheim peppers)
I usually add about 1/2 as much as I have fruit, but you may use as much as you like

add onions
a little less than the peppers

add cilantro
a little less than the onion but don't skimp...cilantro brings a good fresh taste to salsa

add hot pepper
jalapeno or Serrano
chop this up really small, as small as you can get it
I always start with about 1/2 as much as I think I might need...you can always add more but you can't take it out. Peppers are hottest if they come from hot climates. Peppers from Mexico are hotter than peppers from Idaho. Generally your store will tell you where the peppers are from so you can know what to expect. The hottest part of the pepper is just around the seeds so if you want to you can cut that out. I find that a salsa without hot peppers is somewhat flat, so even if you want a mild salsa you should add a little.

something acidic
(vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice)
each will give a slightly different flavor but you need one of these to bring the flavors together

Salt
enough to balance the acid

Sugar
just a little to bring out the tomato flavor, you can skip this if you a using a sweet fruit

Now you have your basic salsa. Chop it how you like it, or put it in the blender. I can tell when I have a good mix by how pretty it is, a good mix of colors will give a good flavor. Mix it up, taste frequently and let it sit just a bit before serving. You might also like to add: Black beans, corn, tomatillas, zucchini, garlic powder or cumin.

If your salsa is too hot: add more fruits and vegetables; beans and zucchini especially will soak up the heat. If that doesn't work try cooking the salsa; that will soften the heat considerably.

...and of course, talking to yourself makes the salsa taste just a little bit better...