Salsas for All Seasons

Kick the gray right out of winter with flavorful, colorful salsas that are amazingly easy to create. Artful combinations of fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices unite to form a harmonious blend of flavors and colors that delight the palate and complement a variety of dishes.

The words sauce and salsa, which English borrowed from French and Spanish, originally came from the Latin word salsus, meaning “salted.” Salt is still an important ingredient in most salsas, although modern cooks often try to reduce salt intake. Most packaged chips contain more than enough salt, so the flavor remains when the chips are dipped.

Salsa in various forms has been around for hundreds of years. A neighbor of mine, who travels back and forth to Brazil, brought me an unfamiliar herb and a handful of pepper seeds that the indigenous people living deep in the Brazilian rain forest had given him. They told him that the pepper and the accompanying herb were both traditional ingredients in an ancient salsa made by their Mayan ancestors. Unfortunately, the salsa recipe didn’t accompany the seeds, but I’ve had fun trying to create this very old dish without it.

Ketchup used to hold the honor of most popular table condiment, but in recent years, salsa sales have surpassed ketchup’s, and there are literally hundreds of brands of salsa on grocery store shelves.

Many people only think of salsas made with tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, onion and garlic, but salsa doesn’t have to contain a single tomato — and many don’t. And during these winter months when it’s virtually impossible to get a flavorful tomato, that’s a major plus. Luckily, you can make delicious salsas out of a wide range of vegetables and fruits.

Zucchini salsa is a great example. This vegetable is available year-round in most supermarkets, and it combines well with a wide range of other great salsa vegetables, such as jicama, sweet bell peppers, garlic and lime. Or you can make salsa from fruits, such as apples, grapes, kiwi, strawberries, bananas, melons or mangos.

If you think it might be easier to just pop open a jar from the grocery, I would guess you have never tasted good homemade salsa. It’s not much trouble to make, and the flavor is incomparable. If you can push the button on a food processor, then you can make salsa in minutes.

TOOLS TO MAKE SALSA EASILY

Some years back, I bought a hand-cranked food processor from a demonstrator’s booth at the state fair — you know, the kind of display where the guy is slicing and dicing and amazing you with his skills while he talks nonstop over his low-wattage microphone. My first thought when I saw this man was that he had his work cut out for him, selling this “toy” food processor. It was nothing but a plastic bowl with a lid and a crank that turned a little blade inside.

Because I’m the kind of cook who always wants the food processor with the biggest motor (and who has worn out a larger commercial model and is working on the second one), I figured this toy was useless and nearly walked away.

But I watched the man as he chattered his well-rehearsed spiel, claiming that anyone in the audience could make a bowl of salsa in a minute or less. As he bantered with the audience, he threw a couple of quartered tomatoes into the bowl. Then he added a clove of garlic, a small handful of cilantro, some lime juice and a hot chile, closed the lid and gave the little crank five turns.

In literally less than a minute he had made, and emptied out, a bowl full of fresh salsa right before our eyes. He added chips and passed around the bowl for everyone to taste. The result was a fresh salsa so simple and tasty you couldn’t even compare it with anything from a jar. I was hooked, and shelled out $12.95 plus tax for my first hand-cranked food processor.

I can grab the little gizmo when guests arrive, and by the time they’ve walked through the front door I’m pouring out a bowl of fresh salsa for their refreshment. I now have three of these hand-cranked food processors and use them when I give salsa workshops for herb groups around the country. (The little hand-cranked food processors are also available for about $10 at several of the “box” stores, such as Target, K-Mart, Wal-Mart, etc.)

But even if you use an electric food processor, it’s a simple process to make any salsa. If you’re using an electric processor, just be sure to barely pulse-blend the ingredients to avoid overprocessing. If you overprocess, you will get something closer to sauce than salsa. Good salsa is chunky.

We also think of salsa as primarily a summer food: good with hamburgers and hot dogs, at parties after a baseball game, or at a picnic. And salsa is certainly great for all of those. But salsa is also outstanding for other uses, as well. For example, pineapple salsa is wonderful on top of grilled fish. A spicy tomato salsa is perfect for topping a hamburger cooked inside in the winter. Think salsa for Thanksgiving. Why not serve cranberry salsa with the roast turkey? How about raspberry salsa served as a side dish to baked pork chops? Peach ginger salsa makes a perfect accompaniment to baked chicken, and papaya salsa goes great with Cajun blackened fish. The possibilities are endless, so give up the idea of salsa as just a tomato dish to go with chips and start cooking!

BANANA SALSA

This may not sound good, but it’s one of the favorites in my salsa workshops for herb groups. You’ll be surprised how much your guests enjoy this with chips or generously topping grilled fish for a main course.

2 not-fully-ripe bananas, diced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
1/2 habanero pepper, seeds removed, diced fine
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt, optional

Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl, and gently toss to mix. Correct seasonings, adding salt, lime juice or sugar, to taste. The salsa should be a little sweet and a little sour. Best when served a couple of hours after making. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

APPLE SALSA

Serve this as a side dish with a holiday meal, baked chicken, to top grilled chicken sandwiches or as a dip for chips.

2 tart apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
4 ounces chopped canned green chilies (or 1 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves, chopped
Dash salt, optional

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl and mix well.

SALSA FRESCA

A traditional favorite from South of the Border, this is good with chips, but just as tasty served as a side dish with a meal of burritos, Spanish rice and refried beans.

3 ripe tomatoes, diced
1 white onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
4 jalapeño or serrano chiles, chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
Juice of 1 fresh lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Let the mixture rest for 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.

BLACK BEAN & CORN SALSA

Easy and great tasting, you can serve this as a dip with your favorite corn chips or as a side dish. Make plenty because it goes fast.

15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
6 green onions, diced
1 serrano pepper, diced fine
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate overnight to let flavors combine.

CANTALOUPE BASIL SALSA

Juicy cantaloupe makes a refreshing salsa for grilled chicken or fish. For a milder salsa, discard pepper seeds.

2 cups diced cantaloupe
2 spring onions, diced fine
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1 hot green chile, such as serrano or Thai, diced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Toss together all ingredients in a bowl and let stand, covered and chilled, until ready to serve.

FRESH FRUIT SALSA

Serve with tortilla chips or as a side dish with grilled or baked fish. Try it with chicken dishes as well.

1/2 cup mango, diced
1/2 cup pineapple, diced
1/2 cup papaya, diced
1/2 cup apple, diced
1/4 cup green or yellow bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
1 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded, diced fine
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped
3 teaspoons sugar

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and chill at least 1 hour before serving.

CUCUMBER SALSA

1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 avocado, peeled and diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
2 tablespoons cilantro, diced
1 serrano or jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Combine ingredients and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

TROPICAL JUNGLE SALSA

This salsa is delicious used as a side dish, salad, topping for fish or chicken or simply as a dip with chips.

3 large ripe tomatoes
1/3 cup white onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 to 2 habanero peppers, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
11/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, diced
3/4 cup red radish, diced
3/4 cup jicama, diced
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped

Trim and halve tomatoes. Gently squeeze out and discard the seeds and juice. Chop the tomatoes. In a food processor, combine the tomatoes, onions, orange juice, habaneros, lime juice, and salt; process until fairly smooth. Transfer the puree to a bowl and stir in the diced cucumber, radish, jicama, cilantro and mint. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. The salsa can be prepared up to 1 day in advance.

Jim Long lives and works in the Ozark mountains of Arkansas. His newest book, Sensational Salsas, is available through Long Creek Herbs. Order it by calling (417) 779-5450 or contact Jim by visiting www.HerbCompanion.com and clicking on “Contributors.”