Time for Taco Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday… at Woodstock Farmers’ Market! 

Farmers’ Fiesta is in full swing with mounds of tomatoes, onions, avocados, peppers, tortillas, chips, meats, and veggies to grill up for quick, tasty dinners. Grills are getting fired up and Cinco de Mayo celebrations are right around the corner. 

Growing up in Arizona, salsa was a major condiment in my household. I remember my dad making a big batch and putting it on everything. And I mean everything! Mixed into melted cheese for a queso dip, sometimes used to simmer chicken thighs for taco or burrito fillings, flavoring meatloaf…with a few dashes of cumin added for good measure, or just scooped up with a cheese quesadilla or crunchy tortilla chip. 

His salsa recipe was crazy simple, too.  So, I want to share it with you. 

Al’s Salsa

Ingredients

• 1 12 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 2 diced Roma tomatoes
• ½ of a medium-sized white onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 jalapeno, green or yellow or 2 serrano peppers, about 2 inches long, for a touch of extra heat. (Feel free to mix and match.)
• ¼ cup of loose minced cilantro, if you are a fan (I am!)
• ½ lime
• salt to taste  

 My dad used a stainless-steel mixing bowl for our Salsa Bowl.  (Like I said, we went through A LOT of salsa.) I suggest a metal or glass bowl to put all your fixings in so it will wash well. Plastic may hold on to the garlic smell and it might be a bit of a surprise when you use it for something sweet or fruity in the future. 

Instructions

• Cut a clove of garlic in half and rub the inside of your bowl.   
• Mince up your garlic, onion and peppers. *If you add the seeds from the hot peppers, it will be pretty spicy. If you like the heat, great! If you are not too sure, then just scrape the seeds out before you mince up the peppers. Don’t like spicy? Leave them out; it will still be a delicious salsa. 
• Add the canned tomatoes, the diced Roma tomatoes, and cilantro. 
• Squeeze the fresh lime juice in and salt to taste. 
• Mix all the ingredients and let sit for at least an hour so the flavors can all meld together. 

 Then have at it!  Spoon on to scrambled eggs, top a burger, or just grab your favorite tortilla chips and chow down. 

I have also just thrown all the ingredients in a blender or food processor as a short cut. There is no wrong way. 

See you at the Market and tell us how your Salsa turned out! 

~Pam, general manager of Woodstock Farmers’ Market in Waterbury