First of all, before I tell you anything about this new creation that is actually currently in my water bath, processing and getting ready for winter, I'd like to let you in on a little secret:
If you would like to simultaneously give me both a heart attack AND a stroke, feel free to stop on by my house sometime in the very near future-- preferably unannounced, of course. Our precious parsonage is laid out where the very first thing you see upon crossing the threshold of the entryway into la casa de Gibson is the kitchen. As in, when you walk in the door... *ta-da!!!* You are IN the kitchen. And my kitchen is currently in a state that looks like a cross between a strong struggle at the farmer's market and a canning jar plant gone terribly wrong. I mean, not only am I trying to NOT work too much so as to undo all the medical work I had done this summer, but I am also trying to still maintain some semblance of homemaking and winter planning. And sometimes I am simultaneously wrangling one or more of my three precious sweet ones.
(In fact, I don't even have any "these are the steps and process for making my delectable salsa" pictures-- because who in their right mind is able to keep the two year old OUT of the kitchen, away from the plethora of boiling cauldrons, along with passing out snacks to the 5 yr and 7 yr olds, all the while managing to blanch, peel, chop, and measure tomatoes AND take step by step photos?!)
I mean, I'm so horrified at the thought of you just dropping on by that not only do I not have the courage to post a picture of what my kitchen actually looks like right now, I can't even handle the thought of taking a picture (I mean, who wants that kind of documentation floating around out there?!).
I'm certain this woman is deep in the thralls of canning season.
So now that that is outta the way... let me tell you about some summer yummers that happened amidst the natural chaos that is my life. Just the other day I shared with you the recipe for a delicious peach salsa, which is kind of giving me the stink eye every time I pass my pantry shelf. Admittedly, that particular recipe is rather spicy-- which I so very much enjoy. However, my sweet ones aren't quite as fond of the heat as their mama is. ;) So, I decided to put together a salsa just for them.
Before whipping up this sweet salsa, I put up 7 quarts of tomatoes. So I was already in the tomato blanch, peel, chop mode. It was only natural to flip on over to "salsa" mode.
Here's what you need:
8 cups peeled, diced tomatoes
1 pint of fresh red raspberries (12 oz.)
1 very large peach, peeled and diced
1 small onion, finely diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 scant cup apple cider vinegar
4 tbls bottled lime juice
2 tbls honey
2 tbls brown sugar*
1 small (6 oz.) can tomato paste
2-3 tsp. salt*
2-3 tbls dried cilantro*
2 tbls dried oregano
1/2 tbls paprika
1/2 tbls cumin
1/2 tbls onion powder*
Add all ingredients EXCEPT raspberries into a stainless steel pot and mix until well incorporated. I let this mix get good and hot and then added the raspberries. The berries start to break down fairly quickly, so I didn't want to completely desecrate them before they had a chance to cook with all those friendly ingredients!
Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. By default (read: daddy was still outside pressure washing the utility building [oh, wait... did I forget to mention that earlier???] and all three sweet ones are still awake and loving life at 8:45 pm-- completely UNHEARD OF in my house if you know me!), I let the salsa simmer for about 20 minutes. I did give it a taste several different times, and I really liked how the raspberry flavor began to permeate the salsa.
You probably noticed that several of the ingredients are marked with an asterisk ***. The reason for that is because during the 20 minute simmering and sampling stage, I added a little more of each of those ingredients (I was originally only going to use honey, but I like the sweetness of brown sugar, so that's how that friend got invited to the party.). So, just do a little tasting and adjust according to your own personal needs. HOWEVER! Don't forget that as the salsa sits and waits for you, the herbs will become more pronounced. So don't get too terribly heavy-handed... unless you are a fan!
After simmering, portion into hot, clean pint-sized jars. Wipe the rim clean, leaving at least a half-inch head space. Add the clean lid and ring, hand tighten, and slip into a lovely water bath. Bring the water bath to a boil and process for 15-20 minutes. Carefully remove from your water bath and let cool on the counter.
Step back and admire your work! (And try not to bust into this sweet, tomato-y goodness!)
Final thoughts... You have probably noticed that there are zero peppers of any sort listed in the ingredients. This was not on accident. I, quite frankly, just didn't have it in me to find (and then worry about) a mild enough pepper for this salsa-- since it was put together with the sole purpose of having a special salsa for my young sweet ones. I just decided to leave them out. But between the cilantro and cumin and garlic, this salsa has a mighty tasty appeal to it (if I do say so myself!).
