Now… for something COMPLETELY different.

[Sorry, but nothing remotely theological here.]

It’s been a heck of a week, so my husband Chuck and I took the evening off to relax. Over the past year, we’ve been experimenting with improving our cooking skills, stretching our comfort zone with recipes and experiments (some failed, some ah-may-zing). We’ve tried + modified many recipes…

and this, by far, is our favorite! We make it at least once each week!

So, tonight…
just for fun…
from the Kitchen of Hedy + Chuck…

CASA COLLVER SALSA

You’ll need:

• Two pounds regular plain ole tomatoes, nothing fancy (Chuck’s description) – about 4 tomatoes
• Two jalapeño peppers
• One red (or yellow or orange) pepper
• One medium white onion
• Three cloves garlic
• Safflower oil
• 1 cup of chicken broth (we use “Kitchen Accomplice” reduced sodium chicken broth concentrate with water) — Chuck says you get bonus points if you use homemade chicken broth … I don’t need the bonus points right now, so: concentrate!
• Salt
• Pot for boiling stuff
• Large frying pan for cooking stuff

Boil tomatoes, jalapeños, and garlic in pot with water. (How else to boil them other than in water? Don’t ask me. I’m still new at this!) Bring to boil, covered, but ajar, then reduce heat until just bubbling, about medium, for about 15-18 minutes.

Slice off about 1/4 cup of the onion, and put in blender. Do NOT slice off your finger, just the onion. (Not that I’ve done that. Just saying.) Chop in blender (setting 2 on our blender). Leave it in blender, waiting for the other stuff to be added.

While the other stuff is boiling away (bubbling away) on the stovetop, move to your cutting board. Dice the red pepper (or yellow or orange) and place in a bowl. Dice onion to be about the same amount as the diced pepper, and put in bowl.

By now, the stewed tomatoes, jalapeños, and garlic should be ready. (I’m a slow chopper, so maybe you’ll have time to read a book, grab a glass of wine, whatever.) Use slotted spoon to put the tomatoes and garlic in blender with the 1/4 cup of now chopped onion. Put the jalapeños on the cutting board. Remove the stems from both. For one jalapeño, seed to your level of spicy-ness (Chuck likes all the seeds in, I’m wimpier, so we compromise with a half-seeded jalapeño). Place the jalapeño and seeds in the blender with the tomatoes, garlic, and onion. Add a a tablespoon of salt to the blender. (These are basically stewed tomatoes, so the salt cuts the super-acidity). Then… purée!

When you remove the boiling pot (at medium), don’t turn the heat off. Just put the frying pan right on it. Put in roughly 3 tablespoons of safflower oil. Let the oil get hot, then pour in the purée. Careful! It’ll splutter! Stir, cover ajar, cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Then, after 5-8 minutes, add the chicken broth. Stir, cover ajar, cook for another 10 minutes or so, stirring from time to time.

While this is all bubbling away merrily on your stovetop, go back to your cutting board, where that last lonely jalapeño is pondering its fate. Seed the jalapeño (if you’re a glutton for punishment, leave the seeds in!), dice finely, and place in the bowl with the diced red pepper (or yellow or orange) and the diced onion.

The stuff in the frying pan has been cooking for 10 minutes now (or so). Add the pepper, onion, and jalapeño to the mix. Stir, cover ajar, cook for another 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, and breathing in deeply the absolutely fabulous smell emanating from your kitchen.

Chuck: “Now, c’mon, you KNOW what salsa looks like when it’s done. Apply that knowledge… and you’re done. Maybe test with a teaspoon, and add more salt if needed.”

Me: “Then… while it’s still piping hot, test with a chip. And another chip. And one more, because you need to be sure you’ve gotten it right.”

Enjoy!!!!