Pico de Gallo

By Hklbrries

The kaleidoscope of tomatoes and peppers now in season offers an almost unlimited color palette for making salsa.

And on the flavor side, the huge range of heirloom and standard tomatoes lets you go from expected to subtle to sweeter, with all kinds of tart or acidic or fruity notes to be found. Peppers range from all fruit and no heat in simple bell peppers to the incendiary habanero, which enflames a salsa called Dog’s Nose – so named, some say, because yours will be wet, too, after a single tiny bite.

(There’s an even hotter pepper, the Bhut Jolokia, which is also known as a “ghost” because that sounds so much better than “this might kill you if you eat it.” Use it at your own risk.)

The four recipes provided here illustrate a variety of styles of uncooked salsas: simple Pico de Gallo; sweet fruitiness in Spicy Peach Salsa; unexpected peppery flavors from arugula and mustard greens in Pretty ’n’ Peppery Salsa; and a daring level of fire in the Dog’s Nose Salsa, which is also known by the Mayan words for dog’s nose, Xni Pec (SHNEE-pek).

Use the recipes as is, or do a little experimenting by swapping out tomatoes, peppers or other ingredients to achieve different looks or flavors. And if you’re feeling really creative, use our brief list of suggestions for making your own salsa from the ground up.

Other recipes in collection referenced:

Pretty 'n' Peppery Salsa, Spicy Peach Salsa, and Dog's Nose Salsa (Xni Pec).

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped white onion
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 fresh serrano or 2 jalapeno chilies, cored, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 ripe medium tomatoes, finely chopped
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Details

Servings 2

Preparation

Step 1

Put onion, cilantro and chilies in a food processor; pulse until very finely chopped.

Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Nutrition Information:
Per tablespoon
3 calories
0 g fat
0 g protein
.5 grams carbohydrate
0 g cholesterol
0 g fiber
10 mg sodium