Best Canned Salsa Ever

Roma tomatoes, I read, are the best for making salsa.  So I grew hundreds of them!  We like our salsa.  What makes this canning recipe unique is the flavour that comes from broiling both the tomatoes and the hot peppers- it gives them roasted yumminess.  It's also a great way (over poaching) to get the skin off your veggies, and do you ever pack a lot of veggies into this recipe.

Ingredients:

~7  cups of tomatoes chopped
(slice off top to make flat and place in rows on baking sheet, broil on high until skin starts to peel away)
~5-6 peppers diced broiled peppers (I used Crimson Reds, but you could use Anaheims's or other big ones)
(also broil on baking sheet until blackened, skin will peel away, remove stem, veins and seeds)
~3 Jalapeno peppers
(not broiled, remove stem, veins, seeds and dice)
~1 1/2 cup of diced onion
~3 cloves of minced garlic
~1 cup of apple cider vinegar (the vinegar makes it safe/acidic for canning)
~1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
~1 tsp of cumin
~2 tsp of dried oregano
~2 tsp of salt
~2-3 tsp of sugar

Directions:

Prepare all ingredients and combine in a large pot.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Place in sterilized jars (in boiling water for 10 minutes and handled with tongs).  Fill to 1 cm from top and wipe rims with clean cloth.  Prepare covers by sterilizing as with jars.  After lids have been secured, put jars filled with salsa in bath, water covering jars by 1".  Boil for 15 minutes.  When you remove, you should hear the "ping" sound of the canning process working.

Canning truly is not a scary or overly laboursome project.  There are many great websites to walk you through the stages.  Best of all, it allows you to enjoy the harvest of your garden throughout the year.  I love opening a jar of fresh salsa in February.  Happy salsa making!

Bean and Veggie Salad

I am enjoying such a variety of tomatoes finally. I started the six varieties I have from seed but was late transplanting them due to the school business of May/June.  As a result, I've had a gazillion green tomatoes on my hand for the last weeks.  I've had nightmares about being forced into vats of green tomato chow chow.  Finally, with this glorious Indian summer, in has come the purples, yellows, oranges of heirloom tomatoes and the brilliant reds of my beefsteak and Romas.  Stay tuned for salsa canning next weekend.  In the meantime, here's a lovely healthy salad to try.  So easy, so colourful, so healthy!

Ingredients:

~1 can of mix bean medley (strained and rinsed)
~ 2 cups of mixed cherry tomatoes cut in half
~ 1 cup of sugar snap peas
~ 2 tbsp of fresh basil chopped

Dressing:

~ 2 tbsp of light tasting olive oil
~1 tbsp of white wine vinegar
~1 clove of garlic diced finely
~1 tsp of smooth Dijon mustard
~1 tsp of fresh lemon juice
~ pinch of kosher salt and cracked pepper

Here's my little pea picker!