I am often as guilty as most at falling prey to the most fundamental act of food laziness – buying salsa. Fresh salsa is so incredibly simple to make that it should be a crime to buy it.

Take five minutes to throw this simple salsa together, and you will never look back.

Prep time –  5 minutes
Serves – 8 (as a snack or appetizer with chips. I recommend blue corn)
Adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients

• 4-5 vine ripened tomatoes (look for something local. The farther the tomato has traveled, the less ripe it was when picked, losing crucial flavor)
• 3 serrano chilies
• a handful of cilantro
• 1 small white onion
• juice of one lime
• salt
• freshly ground pepper

Method

1. Cut each onion in half and remove the core
2. Dice the tomatoes and add to serving bowl.
3. Dice the onion and add to serving bowl.
4. Finely chop the chillies. TIP: To avoid touching the chillies (people often touch the eyes or other sensitive areas after cooking and have searing pain), take a sandwich bag, turn it inside out, and put it over your left hand. Hold the chilies with your bag covered hand while chopping.
5. Add the chopped chilies to the serving bowl by swiping them in from the cutting board with the non-sharp end of your knife (always move items off the cutting board with this end so you don’t dull your blade).
6. Roughly chop the cilantro by lining up the bunch so that all stems are in the same directions and finely chopping in a direction perpendicular to the stems.
7. Add the cilantro to the serving bowl and mix.
8. Juice the lime into the bowl and add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper.
9. Mix thoroughly and allow the salsa to sit for ten minutes (if time allows) for flavors to meld.
10. Serve with corn chips and enjoy! Just make sure to warn your guests that it is a bit picante (hot) 🙂