Salsa Fresca

Calling all salsa lovers! Did you know that the canned tomatoes and store bought salsas have leached harmful chemicals and hormones from the lining of the cans? The acidic nature of tomatoes and oranges make them some of the canned products you’ll want to avoid. Roasting your own tomatoes is so fast and easy, and it tastes so much better! The flavors here are so bright and fresh! I also like some of the tomatoes to go in raw for taste and vitamin content.  You can roast all of your tomatoes though. It’s up to you. I also want to note that I LOVE cilantro so this recipe is perfect for me. You can alway leave it out if cilantro is not your thing. Add an extra jalapeño if you like it spicy. Thank you Julie for the recipe and being one of the first women friends to make me feel loved after I was married. It gave me the confidence I needed to reach outside of my comfort zone to make new friends everywhere life took me down the road.

Salsa Fresca

8 Roma tomatoes or 6 medium tomatoes
1 large clove garlic chopped
1 bunch green onions roughly chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopping the leafy section and discarding the stems
Juice from 1/2 a lemon (1 Tbsp)
Juice from 1/2  a lime (1Tbsp)
1 jalapeño seeded and diced
1/2 bag of frozen petite white corn (optional)
1 avacado diced
Sea salt to taste

Roast 1/2 of your tomatoes in the oven at 400° for 5 to 10 minutes, or grill them on medium heat for about 4 minutes on one side and grill marks are showing, then flip them over to grill the other side for another 4 minutes. The skin of the tomatoes should look slightly wilted, and they should be soft. When they have cooled, core the stem area of all the tomatoes and put them in a blender or food processor with the garlic, onions, lemon juice, lime juice, jalapeño, salt, and half of the cilantro leaves. Pulse until everything is blended but still a little chunky. Add the rest of the cilantro and pulse a couple more times to desired consistency. I like a few of the cilantro leaves to be in larger pieces. Pour the salsa into a bowl. Taste test to see if you have enough salt and lemon juice. When you’ve got it tasting like you want it, stirring the corn and avocado. Serve or store in an airtight container.