Mid Week Inspiration No. 11 – What is the First Dish You Perfected?
“Thanks for this day, for all the birds safe in their nests, for whatever this is, for life” ~ Barbara Kingsolver
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The past few days have been lovely around our house
There have been afternoons of sunshine, cold beers and even a bike ride (or two). We had a picnic, I've walked laps in the pool, and on Saturday we went to a friend's house for extra cheesy lasagna
It's been summer
I didn't even mind the thunderstorm that rolled through last week. It had been an especially hot day, and as it started to rain, I opened the windows. My husband was out of town, so I busied myself with a batch of soup and Johnny Cash on Pandora. I'm telling you, there aren't many things that sound so sweet as raindrops on the sill, humming along to Johnny and June
At any rate, I think the season is finally upon us. All the signs are there, including one of the most crucial. This weekend
I made salsa
Now, before this goes any further, you should know a little something. I wasn't a raving fan until a neighbor introduced me to his homemade version a couple of years ago
The truth is, once the summer tomatoes arrive, he eats salsa by the quart. He eats salsa like I used to eat dessert. Whenever his wife loses sight of him at the farmer's market, all she has to do is head for the tomato display. He's bound to be there, sniffing and prodding, sizing up the prospects
The man is a salsa machine. He makes it, he eats it, and then he starts again
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Salsa may not sound like something that's particularly exciting to make, and it certainly is simple. Something that's truly special with an alchemy of sweetness and acid with just enough salt. His repertoire includes three recipes (of sorts):
A pico de gallo – with ginger and a ghost pepper as secret ingredients
Roasted tomato salsa – 10-12 plum tomatoes, 1-3 jalapeno peppers, small onion, and 3-5 cloves garlic (peeled). Coat everything in olive oil and broil in the oven at 450-500 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until everything is moderately charred. Let them cool before putting it all in a food processor with some fresh cilantro, the juice of a lemon or lime, a strong pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp or so of ground cumin
Spicy green salsa – 8 cloves of garlic (peeled), 4-5 jalapenos (seeds removed if you'd like it to be on the milder side), 2 big handfuls of cilantro, the juice of 2 lemons and/or limes, salt to taste. Put it all in the food processor, pulse until it's the consistency you'd prefer
As the story goes, he started his quest for homemade sala at a local taco stand. A place he used to haunt for cheap plates of beans and rice and a trip through their salsa bar. For those that were his favorites, he made a mental note of the ingredients list and decided he'd try making them at home
And so it began
He'd make a batch, then sit down with a bag of tortilla chips .. breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And then he did it again. He was still doing the same thing when he met his wife. And some days, especially in the summer, he still can't help himself
I've decided one could do a lot worse than eating salsa all day. Especially any of these. No matter which you choose, they'll be a wonderful blend of sweet and acidic, bright and rich. All thick enough to sit tall atop a crisp, salty chip. Which is, come summer, is where we all want to be
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Salsa is delicious with tortilla chips (of course), but also with beans and rice, grilled beef, guacamole, slices of avocado, in omelets, taco salads, or pretty much anything with Mexican leanings. Not to mention, heaped on top of hummus and served with pita chips (or toasted pita bread) as Smitten Kitchen did, inspired by Ina Garten's Instagram post
No matter how its served, I think I've stumbled upon the perfect dinner party spread for summer: a trio of salsas and a pile of tortilla chips
xoxo
I'm curious .. What is the first dish you made over and over again until you had it mastered?
ps: For more Midweek Inspiration: Do you have a signature dish? .. Easy weeknight cooking ideas.. and What do you eat when you're home alone?
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