Salsa Picante

I grew up eating pickled jalapeños on pretty much all of the Mexican food we ate when I was a kid, which was surprisingly not often given that I grew up in Texas. I did not like them and thought it was the heat I did not like so I avoided spicy food like the plague. And then I discovered fresh serrano peppers and loved the fresh heat and flavor of them. And that's when I realized that not all peppers are alike and that it was the taste of the pickled jalapeño I did not like as much as it was the heat. I got this recipe for salsa picante from coworkers at the Austin Public Library years ago and have been making it ever since. I put it on top of just about everything, but I always reserve a bowl to eat with fritos, which for some reason go really well with it; I think that's because that is what ate it with way back then when I first started making it. However you use it, you will be so happy that you made it!

Home Cookin v9.81 Chapter: Appetizers Spreads Dips Sauces SALSA PICANTE 1 28-oz can whole stewed tomatoes
4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
5 to 10 serrano peppers, to taste, roughly chopped
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro, roughly chopped
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp crushed oregano
2 to 3 roma tomatoes, finely chopped
4 to 6 green onions, finely chopped
more fresh cilantro for garnish

Drain the juice from the can of tomatoes into a blender or food processor. Add the garlic, peppers, cilantro, salt and olive oil. Pulse until the peppers are just chopped. Pour the mixture into a large bowl.

Put the drained canned tomatoes in the blender and add the oregano. Pulse until the tomatoes are just chopped. Pour into the bowl with the tomato and pepper mixture and stir everything together well.

Add the finely chopped tomatoes and green onion. Adjust seasoning to taste.

from friends/coworkers at the Austin Public Library some time in the mid '70s

Exported from Home Cookin v9.81 (http:\\mountainsoftware.com)