Cooking with Chef Jo: Mexitaliano Salsa

My computer with all my pictures is in the shop. This blog is written on a HP streaming tablet so no pictures. Sorry about that.

After losing all my Roma tomato plants in the garden this year due to the cockeyed weather, I broke down and bought a case of them from the wholesale house. Not organic, but they were locally sourced. Beggars can't be choosers. Sigh! I only need three more cases for the sauce.

While there I picked up cases of snap beans, pickling cucumbers, and half a case of yellow squash too. Let's just say I was a canning fool this week. I frozen the green beans and squash to can later. So I just had to blanch, flash freeze, and fill gallon bags with that produce. I also picked up three pounds of onions and a few bell peppers. Luckily I got enough red jalapenos from the garden to make the salsa with. I only needed four the 7 quarts of finished salsa I made.  It's very mild with enough heat to hit the back of the mouth. Mel can't stand the heat so she stays out of the kitchen.😎

A few years ago, my cilantro bolted long before my tomatoes and peppers ripened. Dehydrated cilantro just doesn't do salsa justice. As an experiment, I used fresh basil instead. We liked it so well I never went back to cilantro for my salsa. So I'll share my recipe with you. Mel isn't crazy about peppers so I adjusted the recipe. It still has about half of my usual amount. So to recreate a tru-ish salsa, you'll want to double the amount of bell peppers in this recipe. To increase the heat, chop more jalapenos leaving in the inner membrane and seeds that's what I do for me. We also love the health benefits of garlic so there's plenty in here. We also like a fairly chunky salsa.

My tomatoes are cut with the large grate (about 1/2" dice) Vidalia Onion Chopper. My onions and peppers are cut with the smaller grate (about 1/4" dice). This one batch will make enough salsa for us to enjoy salsa once a month for a year. I'll probably make one more batch before the first freeze.

Jo's Mexitaliano Salsa

Makes 13 1/2 pint jars (roughly 7 qts)

What you'll need

40 Roma tomatoes, about 35 lbs worth

3 large, green bell pepper about 2 1/2 cups worth diced

4 red jalapenos, cored and seeded minced

3 lbs of onions, small diced about 10 cups worth

2 heads of garlic, 24 large cloves minced.

2 limes, quartered

1/4 cup fresh basil, minced

16 oz tomato paste

1 1/2 cups vinegar

2 TBS canning salt

                                                                     1 TBS cumin

                                                                     2 TBS black pepper

Putting it all together

• Wash, core, and put the tomatoes in the freezer overnight.
• Chop your peppers, garlic, onions, and store overnight in your refrigerator. 
• The next morning, place the tomatoes in your sink to thaw.
• Peel and seed the tomatoes. 
• Dice tomatoes into 1/2" pieces and allow to drain in a colander.
• Reserve 2 quarts of diced tomatoes in a pitcher and blend with an immersion blender until pureed.
• Add pureed tomatoes to an 8-qt stock pot.
• Add all chopped vegetables, tomato paste, and limes to the pot.
• Add salt, pepper, vinegar, and cumin.
• Stir well.
• Over medium heat, bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
• Reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer 30 minutes.
• Remove lime pieces and squeeze the juice into the pot. Discard the juiced pieces.
• Stir well.
• Ladle salsa into hot jars and process 30 minutes in a water bath canner.

Do not add more salt even though your taste buds say it may need it. Remember, you'll be eating this with salted tortilla chips or used in a recipe. More salt can be add at that time if you think it needs it. I am assuming that you know how to prepare your hot jars and the basics of safe canning. Now for a recipe you can use this in. You didn't think I'd leave you hanging, did you?

Chicken Salsa

Serves 4

What you'll need

4 chicken thighs, cooked and shredded

1 pint jar of salsa

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese or the Mexican blend cheese*

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup sliced olives

2 cup shredded lettuce

*Note- To make your own Mexican blended cheese. Mix together 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup grated mozzarella or queso cheese, and 1/2 tsp chili powder.

Putting it all together

• Mix chicken and salsa together and place in a saucepan.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until most of the liquid is absorbed.
• Spoon meat evenly onto the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish.
• Sprinkle olives on top.
• Sprinkle cheese evenly on top.
• Baked 350 degree for 30 minutes or until cheese is light brown and bubbly.

To serve- there are several options. You can cut the pan into quarters, serve over shredded lettuce and topped with a dollop of sour cream. You can heat up some refried beans and cut the baked mixture 8 servings, wrap them with lettuce and sour cream into tortillas as burritos. Two per serving. Or, serve with some corn relish, refried beans and rice as side dishes for an Mexican night fiesta. Or serve it over spaghetti with some garlic knots. The choices are endless.

Enjoy and as always...

Y'all have a blessed day!

Chef Jo