With summer coming on I start to think of cook outs and picnics.  Lots of peppers, tomatoes and onions fresh from the backyard for making these wonderful salsas .  I found these recipes at CHEFS. Great site!!

SALSAS

By Claudia Alarcón

From the simple to the elaborate and the exotic, salsas are the soul of Mexican cuisine. Salsas –the Spanish word for sauce- are made from a variety of ingredients including fruits and vegetables, spices and, almost invariably, chiles. They are used all over Mexico whether to cook with or to serve at the table with practically almost any dish, not unlike a relish or chutney.

Types of Salsa

Salsas exist in many variations that include specific regional ingredients and are used for a specific purpose or dish, but there are also standard varieties that are common across the county. In general, salsas can be classified in a number of ways. Classified by color they can be either red (roja) or green (verde); if by cooking method, they can be cooked (cocida) or fresh (fresca); and by its use they can be for the table (de mesa) or for cooking (para guisar). They also have a wide variety of textures, from chopped or chunky like a relish, to fully blended and smooth.

Red Salsa

Salsas rojas are generally made with tomatoes, and the chiles used vary depending if the salsa is fresh or cooked. For salsas frescas for table use, some common chiles can be jalapeños, serranos or árbol. For cooked salsas, dried chiles – such as ancho, pasilla or cascabel – are more often used.

Salsa Roja Cocida

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

3 pasilla chiles

3 large ripe tomatoes

2 Tbsps. oil

1 medium white onion, finely chopped

1 sprig of epazote, fresh or dried

salt to taste

Instructions

Toast the chiles lightly on a griddle or skillet. Let cool, devein and seed. In a saucepan, place tomatoes and chiles, cover with water and simmer for about 5 minutes or until soft. Cool slightly and puree in the blender.

In a saucepan, heat oil and sauté onion until translucent and slightly golden. Strain sauce into the pan, season with salt to taste and simmer on low heat until well seasoned, about 15 minutes.

Green Salsa

Green salsas are made with tomate verde (Physalis), known in English as tomatillo, a relative of the gooseberry that is covered with a papery husk. Tomatillos are also used equally in fresh or cooked sauces, and mix beautifully with fresh as well as dried chiles. I n a salsa verde cocida one may find tomatillos paired with chiles guajillos, chipotles, or moritas, while in a fresh table sauce serranos and jalapeños are prevalent.

Salsa Verde Cocida

This versatile, tangy sauce can be used as a table sauce or as a cooking sauce to make enchiladas or chilaquiles or with pork and squash.

Ingredients

1 lb. fresh tomatillos, husk removed, washed

2 Serrano chiles, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 cup white onion, chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

salt to taste

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, simmer tomatillos in just enough water to cover for about 5 minutes, until they’re soft and their color changes. Drain and reserve cooking liquid.

In a blender, place chiles, onion, garlic, cilantro and salt with half of the cooking liquid. Process lightly, then pulse and add tomatillos alternating with more cooking liquid until desired texture is achieved. For a table salsa, it should be slightly coarse and have medium consistency. For a cooking sauce it can be smoother. Taste and add salt if needed.

Makes 2 cups

The Habanero

In the states of the Yucatán Peninsula the chile habanero, the hottest chile known to mankind, is widely used both in table and cooking salsas not only for its heat but for its unique, unmistakable flavor. Other ingredients that may be present in Mexican salsas are onion, garlic, cilantro (fresh coriander leaves), lime juice and vinegar, as well as salt and other spices such as black pepper, cumin, cinnamon and clove.

Cooking and Table Salsas

Cooking salsas are used to make guisados (stews) consisting of meats and /or vegetables that are cooked in said salsa, or for making simple tortilla dishes such as enchiladas or chilaquiles. Table salsas are exactly what the name implies: salsas that are served separately at the table to season foods according to each person’s taste. Table salsas, as previously stated, can be cooked or fresh, and include some of the best known Mexican salsas such as salsa mexicana -also known as pico de gallo- and guacamole.

Here is a sampling of Mexican salsa recipes that hopefully will entice you to challenge your taste buds and discover the diversity and richness of flavors of this most Mexican of condiments.

. Salsa Xnipek

Xnipec in Maya means “dog snout,” named after the inevitable drippy nose that will occur after eating some of this fiery table salsa.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 fresh habanero pepper, seeded and chopped

2 ripe tomatoes, chopped

1 medium red onion, finely chopped

fresh lime juice, (1/2 lime)

fresh orange juice, (1/2 orange)

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

salt to taste

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together in a glass or ceramic bowl. Great on fish tacos and other seafood dishes.

Note: To seed and chop chile habanero, use latex gloves or hold it with a fork while chopping and handle carefully. Do not touch directly or your hands will burn for hours.

This salsa will keep for 2-3 days in refrigerator if cilantro is added at serving time.

Makes 2 cups

Salsa Mexicana

This table salsa can be served with almost anything. It goes great with grilled beef, fish or seafood, and is a popular topping for tacos and other antojitos (traditional Mexican snacks).

Rating:

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Serves: 1

Ingredients

2 large ripe tomatoes, finely chopped

1/2 cup white onion, finely chopped

2 serrano or jalapeño peppers, or to taste, finely chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

salt to taste

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together in a glass or ceramic bowl and serve immediately.