Tomatoes

Yesterday I made some salsa with my garden harvest.  This is the time of year when food feels most abundant, the time here in Michigan when we become aware that today might be the last warm day for awhile, the time we begin to savor what we have left because we don’t know when summer will really leave us and autumn will drift toward those chilly days. 

I like to make salsa because it has such bright flavors and because it is easy to prepare.  It is a healthy way to get loads of veggies, and can make snacks a better choice, as in chips and salsa or better yet, salsa on raw vegetables. Making salsa is mostly about chopping veggies and herbs, and letting them cook awhile till their flavors start merging.  In addition, homemade salsa is cost-effective and flexible.  You can add or delete most of the items below and still have salsa.  All that you truly need are tomatoes and some sort of acidic liquid such as the wine vinegar below.  Enjoy! 

My recipe:

2 # ripe tomatoes, some meaty and some not

1 medium onion, diced

1 small green pepper, diced

3 cloves garlic

1 cup fresh parsley, chopped

½ red wine vinegar

¾ tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. salt

¼-1/2 tsp. chipotle pepper powder* (optional)

1 tbsp. tomato paste

Directions:  Combine all ingredients in large pot and simmer until all ingredients are soft and the consistency is to your liking.  Some people like their salsa thicker than others.  This salsa will last in your fridge about 3 weeks.  (I make several times this recipe and can the extra so I can have some during the winter, but canning will be discussed in another blog.) 

*The chipotle powder is what gives this salsa its kick.  If you do not like spicy salsa, use less than I recommend, or none at all.  You can substitute ¼ tsp. cayenne powder or even ½ tsp. chili powder in its place. 

A good knife is a chef’s best friend. All chefs have their own knives and know how to use them. We keep our knives sharp and clean, as this provides the safest knives. It also allows us to cut the food easier and faster.  At home it isn’t necessary to have a big set of knives, but I recommend two good ones to start with:  a sharp paring knife for small items and a large chef knife for many of the other foods that you will come into contact with.  A knife sharpener will help keep those blades sharp, and many inexpensive ones can be found at the neighborhood supermarket. 

When you get a bowl of soup or a salad at a restaurant, you see that all the vegetables are cut the same size. This is because we chefs want our food to go out to the guest looking as good as it can be. When the food is evenly and consistently cut, the food will look fancier and more appealing.   It will also cook most evenly if all of the pieces are cut to the same shape and size.  The photo is of a chef’s knife. 

This blog is an example of what can happen when a mom and her son share the same passion.  I am a registered dietitian and have been teaching classes for many years.  My son Devin is in culinary school and is currently working as a chef in a local restaurant.  We love to work together in our kitchen at home to create meals that our family enjoys, and to experiment with foods to find the best flavors and textures.  We see food through slightly different lenses, complementing each other. 

Each week we hope to focus on a different food theme, offer a recipe and a story, and some suggestions about culinary skills that will help you in the kitchen. This blog format is new to us.  We expect to experiment a bit as we find the best way to present our ideas to cyberspace.  We hope that you will join us for the culinary ride, offer your suggestions and recipes, and let us know how you tweak ours to meet your needs.  Welcome! 

Viki and Devin