Heirloom Tomato Salsa

Fresh.  Vegan.  Healthy.  Low Carb.  I know these aren’t usually words you see in my posts, but I’m trying friends.  I’m trying.

In keeping with the tomato theme, here is a super awesome recipe for homemade salsa.

Salsa is either too chunky, or too thin for my tastes, but the prep in this recipe leaves you with a little bit of both.  There’s enough water to make you feel like you’re not shoving a chopped tomato salad on your chip, and enough chunk to add great texture.

I’m positive that there are way less complicated recipes for salsa floating around out there, but what’s the fun in that?

Don’t be intimidated by the prep, it really isn’t that complicated.  Just a little broiling and dicing that makes a tad more prep time.

These darn jalapenos are gonna drive me crazy!  You remember my hot hands after the last experiment, well I gloved up this time, and it was totally unnecessary.  I purchased these peppers from the same local farmer’s market and they were not nearly as hot as I’d hoped.  Next time I think I’ll add more that haven’t been broiled, just to amp up the heat.

Salt was another thing that I played with, it wasn’t nearly salty enough for me, so I kept adding, and probably could have added more.

All that being said, I loved the fresh flavors here, the pop of cilantro, the earthy, fresh flavors from the heirlooms, the subtle sweetness, and the overall texture – it was a hit!

This is also the perfect recipe for canning, I got 4 pint-sized Ball jars worth, plus a little extra for the cook.  A great gift to be sure.

And yes, I totally geeked out at the market again – can you blame me?  Look at all those gorgeous tomatoes!

Heirloom Tomato Salsa

Ingredients:

6 jalapeño peppers, seeded and sliced

12 whole garlic cloves

12 fresh ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons agave nectar

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

8 scallions, cut into 1-inch lengths

1/4 cup white onion, chopped

2 cups coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Zest of 4 limes

Freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat the broiler. Place the jalapeño, garlic, and four tomatoes on a baking sheet, and broil until the garlic is tender and the tomatoes are slightly blackened.

Place the broiled ingredients in a blender or food processor, and purée slightly. Add the oil, agave, cumin, and salt, and pulse until almost puréed. Add the scallion and process just until the scallion still has some texture. Transfer the purée to a bowl.

Dice the remaining tomatoes and add to the salsa, along with the chopped onion. Add the cilantro, lime juice, and zest, and season with pepper. Set aside for 2 to 4 hours, at room temperature before serving.

Slightly adapted from Great Good Food: Luscious Lower-Fat Cooking