The last time I was at the farmers' market (buying ingredients for the
watermelon feta salad), I noticed that there was an abundance of peppers - bell and hot, onions, tomatoes, and
tomatillos. My mind immediately went to Mexican food... and then salsa. My favorite salsa to buy at the grocery store is the one in the refrigerated section of the produce department. It's a chunky, fresh salsa made of diced peppers and onions. It's so simple and the flavors are so bright that it doesn't need any other seasoning. When I realized I was surrounded by the perfect components of a fresh salsa right there in the farmers' market, I decided that would be my next recipe.
Last week when I was at the market, I had purchased a red onion (half of which I used in the watermelon feta salad) as well as a cippolini onion. Cippolini onions won me over last summer around this time because they were so fragrant. I could literally smell them as I was standing nearby. I used half of it last week to roast and add to a sandwich, so I still had the other half in my fridge. I decided to use it plus the leftover red onion in my salsa.
As for the rest of the ingredients I would need for the salsa, I wanted to try to find some different things. I found some baby bell peppers, which were so cute and colorful, I couldn't resist. I picked up my favorite purple bell pepper, and an orange "taxi" tomato. All slightly different takes on ingredients you find in your typical salsa. I picked up an ear of corn too for good measure.
I knew I wanted to use tomatillos, which I have never cooked with before, so I found some and asked the lady at the farm stand how to prepare them. That is a great tip: if you're unsure about how to prepare or cook something you find at the farmers' market, ask the people working the stand. They are a great resource. Speaking of the people who work the stands, I wanted to give a
shout out to
Bigg Riggs Farm who generously gave me a single jalapeno for free since I only needed one and didn't want to buy a whole pint. Thanks! It was the perfect spicy ingredient for my salsa.
Here are my farmers' market purchases for the week - so vibrant!
Not only am I giving you the recipe for my farmers' market salsa in this post, I am also giving you the recipe for a burrito bowl! My boyfriend loves Chipotle and gets a burrito bowl there at least once a week. I knew I wanted to make this fresh salsa, but I figured I should turn it into an actual meal to make it cost-effective and worth my time in making. I thought a burrito bowl would be the perfect way to use the salsa and I knew it would make the ol' ball and chain happy ;-) So I told him to skip Chipotle for lunch that day and to save his Mexican food appetite for dinner.
Alright y'all, let's get cookin'!
Fresh Salsa
A few notes before we gets started:
I realize you all might not have access to the same ingredients I found at my farmers' market, so I made sure to you give you substitutions.
Also, I boiled my corn to cook it, but it would add great flavor to the salsa if you grilled the corn instead.
Last, I am part of the
(up to) 21% of people who do not like cilantro. I can't stand the smell or the taste. I can tolerate it in food as long as it's not the dominant flavor and is well mixed in, therefore these recipes are light on the cilantro. If you're a fan, by all means, add more. I would suggest doubling the amount I have listed.
Servings: 6
Prep. Time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1 ear corn, husk removed and ends cut off
1 can black beans
1 pint tomatillos (about 10), husks removed and rinsed to remove stickiness
1/2 cippolini onion, or 1/4 vidalia onion
1/4 red onion
10 baby bell peppers of assorted colors, or 2 large bell peppers - 1 red, 1 orange
1 purple bell pepper, or 1 green bell pepper
1/2 orange "taxi" tomato, or 1/2 red beefsteak tomato
1 jalapeno
Juice of one lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1 handful fresh cilantro, washed
Begin by filling a pot (big enough to fit one ear of corn) half full with water and placing it on the stove over high heat. Place the ear of corn in the water. Bring to a boil and let cook until the corn kernels are completely fork-tender - about 20 minutes. When it's done, remove the corn from the water and place in the fridge until you're ready to use.
At the same time that you start the corn, begin cooking the black beans. Place the contents of the can in a small pot and place it on the stove over low heat.
Let cook for 20 minutes. Remove the pot from the stove and pour the beans into a small bowl. Place them in the fridge to cool while you're assembling the rest of your salsa. I even ended up putting them in the freezer for five minutes or so because the fridge wasn't cooling them down quickly enough.
To assemble the rest of the salsa, start with the tomatillos. Cut them all in half and place them in a food processor.
Turn the processor on for about ten seconds. Pulse as many times as you need to mince any large chunks that remain. When you're done, they should look like this:
Use a spatula to scoop the minced tomatillos into a mixing bowl.
Next do the onions. Rough chop the onions into big chunks and then put them in the food processor bowl.
Turn it on for about ten seconds and then pulse to work through any large chunks until they look like this:
Scoop the minced onion out and into your mixing bowl with the tomatillos.
Now do the bell peppers. For the baby bells, cut off the tops and slice the bodies in half. Pick out any seeds and discard. Toss them into your food processor. For the large bells, remove the top, cut into quarters, cut each quarter in half, and discard any seeds. Place the pieces in the food processor.
Turn the processor on for 10-15 seconds and then pulse until all the pieces are minced, like this:
This makes quite a lot, so I only added one cup of this mixture to the salsa. Store the rest for your next batch (or for the following night when you can saute it and add it to pasta, rice, or a sauce).
Now do your orange (or red) tomato. Cut the half into two or three large chunks and place them in the food processor.
Pulse until you have small, juicy pieces. Scoop this into the mixing bowl along with the tomatillos, onion, and peppers.
Next do the jalapeno. cut it in half lengthwise. If you like SUPER spicy salsa, leave the seeds & ribs in. If you want a milder salsa, pick out the seeds & ribs and discard.
Place the jalapeno halves in the food processor and turn on for five seconds. Remove the pieces and place them on your cutting board.
Run your knife through them several times until you get very small pieces.
I only added half of this to the salsa because I wanted to control the heat. If you like a spicier salsa, add all of it. *Remember to wash your hands well after handling the pepper.*
Rinse out your food processor bowl and blade. Dry them and put them back on the base. Add one handful of fresh cilantro. Pulse until it's finely chopped. Set aside until you're ready to add it at the end of assembling the salsa.
Now take the black beans out of the fridge. Place a colander in the sink and pour the beans into it. Allow to sit there while you finish the salsa so that they juices drain out.
Take the corn out of the fridge. Place it on your cutting board, standing on end, and use a sharp knife to slice down each side of the cob, cutting the corn off in strips.
When you've done all four sides, use your fingers to break apart the corn kernels.
Add them to your salsa.
To dress and season the salsa, drizzle in the lime juice and sprinkle with the salt & black pepper. Stir well to combine.
Finally time to add the black beans! Make sure all of the juices have drained and then dump them into your mixing bowl. Last, sprinkle in 1 teaspoon of the chopped cilantro. Stir to incorporate the black beans and cilantro into the salsa.
Transfer as much of the salsa as you like to your serving bowl. Use tortilla chips for dipping... or eat it in a burrito bowl (recipe below!). Salute!
Burrito Bowls
Servings: 2
Prep. Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
4 servings cooked white rice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
2 pinches garlic salt
2 pinches sea salt
2 pinches fresh cracked black pepper
sour cream to taste
ranch dressing to taste
shredded sharp cheddar to taste
2 handfuls lettuce, shredded
Start by cooking the rice. Follow the directions on the box for four servings. When the rice is completely done cooking, stir in the chopped cilantro.
After you begin cooking the rice, start preparing and cooking the chicken. Place a non-stick skillet on the stove over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil.
To season the chicken, sprinkle each side of the breast with the chili powder, cumin, cayenne, garlic salt, sea salt, and pepper. Place the chicken in the skillet.
Cook on each side five minutes, then continue to flip over every few minutes until the chicken is cooked through - about ten more minutes. when it's done, remove from the pan and let sit for five minutes before cutting.
To cut the chicken, slice it into thin strips and then cut each slice in half.
When it's time to prepare your burrito bowl, get all of your ingredients in one place so you can put it together in an assembly line type fashion. Here is my messy version:
Scoop a few spoonfuls of white rice into the bottom of your bowl. Then add the farmers' market salsa. Add chicken next if you're having chicken. Then add sour cream or dressing (as much as you like). Sprinkle with as much of the avocado and cheese as you desire. Lastly, top with shredded lettuce.
Use a fork to eat or some tortilla chips to dip. Either way, enjoy! Salute!
