Tasty Tuesday: Homemade Freezer Salsa

Tomorrow is salsa making day. I was hoping to make my salsa with fresh tomatoes this year, but my tomato plants refuse to set with this ridiculous heat! Oh well, I have a salsa recipe I really like that uses canned tomatoes that will work just fine. Generally I don't make a large batch, but with plenty of time on my hands and room in my freezer, it seemed a good idea this year! This recipe is just a basic guideline. You can change parts of it to suit your families taste preferences and it will still taste better than any you buy at the grocery store. And it costs a lot less too!

Homemade Freezer Salsa

1 large can whole tomatoes, do NOT drain

1 small or medium onion

2-3 fresh Jalapeños, or Habaneros if you are very brave

Juice of 1 lime

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup cilantro, or parsley if you prefer

1-2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

You may add any or all of the following to suit your taste:

Black Pepper

Cumin

Chili Powder

Tabasco

Oregano

Green Chili's

Green Bell Peppers

Pour juice from tomatoes into blender or food processor and add all other ingredients except onion and tomatoes. Blend just to mix, then add onion and tomatoes. Blend to desired consistency. 

This makes the equivalent of two store bought salsa jars. You may keep it in the refrigerator about one week. It keeps in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Bon appétit ~Marla

Tasty Tuesday: Caprese Salad

After 2 days of unseasonably hot weather I was in the mood for a nice cool salad today. The first thing I thought of was a Caprese Salad. I love fresh tomatoes and I love fresh herbs, so Caprese Salads are one of my favorites. The recipe below is the standard Caprese recipe but the pictures are outstanding! I borrowed this from Pam, who writes the blog For the Love of Cooking. It is a wonderful blog and she generously allows others to repost her recipes on their own blogs. The recipe as well as the pics are hers. So a big thanks to Pam! Just click on the link above to enjoy her talents! ~Marla

For the Love of Cooking: Caprese Salad

This is a perfect salad for a hot day (or any day for that matter). Simple, easy and full of flavor. I love the flavors of mozzarella, basil and tomatoes together and topping them with a really good balsamic vinegar makes it an irresistible salad.

• Organic or home grown beefsteak or Roma tomatoes
• Fresh mozzarella cheese
• Fresh basil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Slice tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. Layer tomatoes, cheese and basil then drizzle balsamic vinegar and finish off with sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Enjoy!