Lazara Arriola's Salsa!

Fellow Gardener Lazara Arriola and her husband enjoyed the inaugural year in the Old Town Community Garden! They grew tomatoes and jalapeno peppers for homemade salsa.

Lazara shares her delicious recipe with everyone!

Ingredients:

5 ripened tomatoes
3 medium size yellow onions
12 small to medium size jalapenos
5 garlic cloves
1 bunch of cilantro
1 T cumin
1 1/2 T of salt
6 C of water

Instructions:
1. Cut up the ripened tomatoes and yellow onions into small pieces (nickel size) and place them in a large skillet.

2. Cut up the jalapenos into small pieces (to look like dime size thin rings and play with color! Jalapenos come in all colors!) then spread them over the tomatoes and onions. That's both fun and colorful! (Make sure you wear disposable gloves when handling jalapenos! or you will be painfully surprised)

3. Smash the 5 fresh garlic cloves and scatter them over the tomatoes, onions and jalapenos.

4. Separate the cilantro leaves from their stem and use only the leaves. Chop the leaves into small pieces and add them to the tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and garlic. (Throw away the cilantro stems. If you add the stems this will give the salsa an unpleasant texture and a bitter taste.)

5. Mix all of the above, then add the condiments of Cumin & Salt.

6. Toss all the ingredients well.

7. Add 6 cups of water (which should cover all the ingredients.)

8. Cook at medium high for about 45 minutes (stir a few times while cooking).

9. Lower the heat to a low-medium for about 10 minutes while you smash all the ingredients in order to obtain the right Salsa consistency (still chunky, but not lumpy)

10. Stir the Salsa and let it cook for another 10-15 minutes on low heat. After that, turn off the heat and smash the Salsa again for a few minutes.

Take out the chips out and Enjoy! The Salsa is now ready to eat! Remember: HOT is best!