Fresh tomato and pepper salsa
Taken from "VEG: simple, stylish and seasonal vegetarian cooking" by Catherine Mason (Pauntley Press, 2001, ISBN: 0-9534879-2-8, price £12.99)
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Hot, raw and invigorating, this lively salsa could not be simpler. The proportions are not critical, but it's a good idea to stick to about two parts tomato to one part sweet pepper, by approximate volume.
The amount of chilli included depends on the ferocity of the particular chillies used (they vary enormously) and of course, personal preference. When handling chillies I suggest wearing rubber gloves, since any juice on the fingers is easily transfered to eyes or other delicate skin, with painful results. This can happen several hours after your hands have been in contact with the chillies, even after washing. It is worth chopping the chillies and garlic quite finely, to eliminate the risk of large chunks escaping the processor blades.
- 2 or 3 medium-sized unpeeled ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 1 small or ½ a large sweet red pepper, de-seeded and coarsely chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- ½ a small red onion, chopped (more, if you like it)
- a generous bunch fresh coriander leaves, washed and de-stalked
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt, to taste
- a few drops of fresh lime juice
- between ½ and 2 fresh red chillies (see above) – de-seeded and finely chopped
Oven temperature: 200°C (400°F, gas 6)
Put all the ingredients in a food processor and whiz briefly (use the pulse setting), so that some texture is retained. Stir the salsa just before serving as it tends to separate out a little, but don't leave it sitting around for too long or it will lose its freshness.
Serve with Margaritas and tortilla chips as an appetizer, or as part of a Mexican main course with tortillas, Refritos and Guacamole.
VARIATION
If you have yellow tomatoes and/or peppers, you could vary the colour-scheme.
SERVES 4
Recipe copyright © 2001 Catherine Mason | other sample recipes