Shelly's Recipe

SALSA FRESCA

Category: Salsa/ Gucamole

5 Italian plum tomatoes
1/4 white onion
1/2 fresh serrano or jalapeno
1 chile, stemmed, seeded, & minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 tsp salt, to taste
1 pinch ground cumin, optional

Chop tomatoes by hand. To create a perfect 1/8 inch dice, slice off stem end and stand tomato on its now-flat surface. Slice straight down to make 1/8 inch wide slabs. Turn cut tomato as a unit and cut across tomato in 1/8 inch increments, creating a dice. Cut reserved slice into dice as well. Put diced tomatoes into a nonreactive bowl.

Cut onion in same-size dice as tomatoes and put in bowl with tomatoes. Add chile and cilantro. Add salt and a very small amount of cumin, if you like. Stir well.

Note: Because piquant qualities of onions and chiles vary, you may need to adjust one or other of these ingredients to taste. Serve salsa at room temperature within a few hours of preparing it. It does not store well, tomatoes and onion become soft and flavors dissipate. Makes 2 cups.