SALSA!!

Corn Salsa
Summertime is here and it is time for SALSA!!! I love salsa. Cool, refreshing, a little spicy, and EASY!! I will make salsa out of any “solid” fruit or vegetable. I am happy that @JoshSmith over at walletpop.com asked me for this recipe. This is going to be fun.
- First, let us address peppers. Different peppers have different flavor and different heat. To determine the heat, I recommend the Scollville Scale. This scale tells you just how hot a pepper is. For flavor, you kind of have to guess. Pablanos and Seranos are kind of earthy, Jalapenos and Habeneros are kind of sweet. I typically do not leave the Jalepeno unless I want something REALLY hot for salsas. I control the heat by how many seeds I include and how much sugar I add.

*As an aside, if anything is too hot, use sugar water to kill the heat. Not soda (corn syrup), not beer (carbohydrates), and                               especially not milk(fat) as these things will carry and spread the heat not cut it. Use plain sugar in water.

- For spices in a salsa, I tend to stick with the most bright and the most “earthy” spices I can. Cilantro is a bright herb bringing a kind of “iron” flavor to your salsa. White pepper is nice because it doesn’t taste as “dirty” as black pepper. Red pepper has kind of a sweeter flavor and is great for fruit salsas. Cumin is that “earthy” flavor you find in chili. Anise sounds kind of crazy but, dealing with “spicy” fruits like mango or pineapple the licorice flavor is a tremendous complement, just don’t go crazy with it. A very little anise will go a long way.

- Vinegar is important as well. This will provide you with the sour flavor that really develops the salsa. Most people think of vinegar as salads and cleaning coffee makers. I am here to tell you, this is a cheapening of what vinegar can be. Think of vinegar like wine gone too long. Different vinegars complement different flavors. A Balsamic is great for sweet, dark salsas like tomato/black bean, pineapple, even simple fresh roma tomato salsas. Red wine vinegar works great for tomato, tomatilla, and grape salsas. Rice wine vinegar complements asian style salsas and if you want a real treat try a jicama/ginger salsa with rice wine vinegar. That is goodness. Cider vinegars are great for apple, pear, or any real “hard” fruit salsa. The key is to test it for yourself.
- Oil, I only ask that you don’t use simple oils like “vegetable” or rapeseed oil. Use olive, cottonseed, almond, walnut, whatever kind of oil you think is tasty. Not the bland stuff.
- Acid is very important in salsas as it helps break down and combine ingredients. Keep in mind there is acid in citrus and tomatoes as well as many other things. This is how a salsa joins its flavor.

AND, with that the informational period is over. Now it is time for the salsa. I am going to describe a corn salsa, but the “sauce” can be used as a base for many different kinds of salsa. By using the information held above, you can alter this base to work for all kinds of fruits, vegetables, and legumes. I will offer options at the bottom of the page.

I LOVE corn salsa. I use this in so many dishes it becomes ridiculous. Eggs, burritos, topping pot roast, with chips, ooowee!! Corn salsa is awesome. Because of this, I make kind of a big batch. The recipe I am going to present is a Corn/Tomato/Black bean salsa. It makes about 10-15 servings depending on how much you use, I figure about ½ cup is a good serving.
*A standard can is about 14 oz.

Ingredients:
• 1 can corn (better than frozen for salsa) drained/rinsed
• 1 can diced tomatoes with liquid (consistent in flavor)
• 1 can black beans drained/rinsed
• 3 jalepenos diced (2 de-seeded)
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tbsp cumin
• ¼ cup vinegar (cider)
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• 1tbsp oil (olive)
Take all the stuff listed above except the oil and mix it all together. Let it stand refrigerated for 24 hours.
Add the oil and mix well before serving.

If you want to do another kind of salsa, use different fruit/vegetables.
• Mango/white bean
• Pineapple/red pepper
• Jicima/Ginger(fresh)/Black beans
• Pumpkin(diced and lightly steamed till soft)/nutmeg instead of cumin/oregano instead of cilantro
• Apple
• Pear

The truth is, you can make a salsa from just about anything. Salsas are great for topping grilled food, adding extra veggies to simple sautees, topping salads, heck I even put fruit salsa on top of ice cream. Sweet, spicy, and chunky, salsas are great for so many things.

If you find new ideas or combinations for salsa, let me know at One Guy Cooking