Technically, tomatoes are a fruit as are chiles but whatever <lol>!
Salsa Cruda
Salsa, in Spanish, simply means sauce but there are a wide variety of “salsas.” Some of the more popular salsas are salsa fresca (also called pico de gallo); salsa verde or green sauce; salsa roja (the Mexican version of ketchup); and salsa cruda: a combination of uncooked tomatoes, chiles, onions, cilantro, spices and lime juice.
In an attempt to use an abundance of garden-fresh tomatoes and chiles, I’m making some salsa cruda. (The nice thing about making your own salsa is you can adjust the ingredients to your liking.) Be sure to wear gloves when dicing the chiles! (If you want a hotter salsa, leave the veins and seeds in the chiles or use more chiles.)
1 1/2 pounds Roma tomatoes
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, divided
1/2 cup finely diced red onion or scallion (or a combination)
2 Jalapeño chiles, seeded and minced (or to taste)
1 Serrano chile, minced (or to taste)
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 3 teaspoons)
1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Rinse the tomatoes under cold water and drain. Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise and cut the tomatoes into a small dice; place in a colander. Season the tomatoes with 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt and toss. Allow the tomatoes to drain for 20 to 30 minutes, discarding liquid. Transfer the drained tomatoes to a mixing bowl.
Add the remaining salt, onion, chiles and garlic. Mix well and allow the flavors to blend at room temperature for 30 minutes. Add the oregano, cumin, lime juice, olive oil and cilantro (if you don’t like cilantro just don’t use it). Stir to combine. Cover the salsa with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
Bring to room temperature and serve.
(This salsa could also be used to accompany grilled chicken or pork. It could also be puréed and frozen for use in future Mexican-style dishes.)
Diced Jalapeno and Serrano chiles, scallions and garlic
After draining the tomatoes, it's everyone in the pool!
Salsa is almost ready. Just needs to marry the flavors for an hour or so!
