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Nothing says summer like sweet and spicy salsa!

Tackling Bittman for wonderful real food recipes!

I was getting ready for a beach day with some dear friends at Fire Island’s Robert Moses Park which has some of the most beautiful stretches of white sand beach on the East Coast.  Every year we try to do breakfast on the beach at least once and then do a cookout in the afternoon while enjoying surf jumping, kite flying and lazying in the late summer sun. It is one of my most joyful and anticipated days of the summer and I wanted to bring some good home made eats filled with my love.

I had plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, so I thought I would make some salsa. Truth be told, I had a ton of peaches that were very close to being over ripe and I had my mind on doing a peach salsa. I had asked plenty of people for their salsa recipes, but, having never made it before myself, though I love it tremendously, and also wanting to try another Mark Bittman recipe so I could post about it, I decided to grab the big red book and see what Bittman says about salsa!

Well, he says PLENTY about it! I was amazed by how many different recipes he has for salsa, and I am sure he has more variations in his other books as well. This guy goes to town on salsa! I decided to start simple with his Fresh Tomato or Fruit Salsa on page 23, but truthfully, I kept thinking about my peaches (something I have been doing a lot lately!), and I got sidetracked to his Grilled Corn and Peach Salsa on page 50 which is actually a variation on Grilled Pineapple and Onion Salsa. Both of these are cooked salsas, and I did not have the time or inclination to do that.

Also, I had another ulterior motive. I had been hearing from many foodie bloggers that they were making lacto-fermented salsa so I wanted to try and do that, and to do that, most or all of your ingredients need to be raw. So, I decided to make the Fresh Tomato Salsa as the base and then add in fresh peaches and some corn cut from a cob of steamed corn I had in the fridge. I made two batches, one of which we ate at the beach to rave reviews with some organic Trader Joe’s corn chips and the other one, I fermented. I will give the fermenting directions after the main recipe with my alterations.

Fresh Tomato or Fruit Salsa-Page 23 Tenth Edition

Makes 2 Cups-with my additions it made much more!

2 Large ripe fresh tomatoes, cored and chopped-I removed the skins by dipping in boiling water and then iced water

1/2 Large white onion or 3 to 4 scallions, chopped

Minced fresh chile, jalapeno, thai or less of habanero, or hot red pepper flakes or cayenne to taste-I used one jalapeno

1/2 Cup fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped-I used a combination

2 Tbs. freshly squeezed lime juice or 1 Tbs. red wine vinegar-I used the lime juice

Salt and freshly ground pepper

To this I also added:

1 Ear cooked sweet cooked corn on the cob, kernels removed

3 Large ripe peaches-skin removed by dipping in boiling water and then iced water-chopped

1 Large green pepper chopped

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Salt and pepper to taste and mix again and sample, adjusting the seasoning if necessary. Allow the mixture to develop for at least 15 minutes, but can be stored covered in the refrigerator for a few days.

The results were wonderful! Everyone enjoyed the salsa and we left the beach with an empty container. That speaks volumes now doesn’t it?

Now on to the lacto-fermented version. In generations past, as many of you know, fruits and vegetables were preserved using lacto bacteria, which create lactic acid and drop the pH of a mixture into the acidic area. This prevents the growth of mold and other harmful bacteria, which need a more alkaline environment to thrive. The lacto-bacteria also add another wonderful benefit of supplementing the good bacteria in your digestive tract, thus helping you to stay healthy and assimilate more nutrients in your food. In modern times, people have turned away from fermented vegetables, using quick brining and pickling instead. The only fermented food most people continue to eat is yogurt. Adding fermented vegetables and fruits to your diet is a wonderful way to increase your health.

Fermenting the Salsa

Combine:

1/2 Total recipe of Fresh Tomato Salsa with the peaches and corn

1 Cup diced tomatoes in juice

1 Tbs. Sea Salt

2-3 Tbs. liquid whey from raw milk or strained yogurt

In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients, using a wooden spoon to press down on any larger pieces of fruit and tomato. Using a jar funnel pour the mixture into a clean glass jar with a tightly fitting lid, leaving 1 inch of air space at the top. You can use a Mason Jar, or any recycled glass jar as long as the lid makes a tight seal.

Leave the jar on the counter in your kitchen, out of direct sunlight for 2-3 days. You will notice bubbles forming near the top when it is ready. You can taste it at this point, making sure not to put your spoon back into the jar a second time! The salsa will have a slight fizziness to it when it is ready. Push the vegetables down into the liquid and reseal tightly before placing in the refrigerator. It will last for many months sealed and stored in the cold, but use it up in a week or two after opening.  I had never had fermented salsa, but I love other fermented vegetables. It was extremely good and I think either a peach or plain tomato fermented salsa would be a good first step for those wishing to introduce lact0-fermented vegetables into their diet.

Ok, so, I did it again, I “traditionalized” a Bittman recipe and basically combined two of his recipes into one. Isn’t that what he TELLS you to do by offering so many variations? Isn’t that what HE did by coming up with all those neato switches? Yes. It is exactly what he did, and I know, deep down, he would be so very proud of me!

I highly recommend the book How to Cook Everything for ease of use and variety. Even the most traditional cook will get some amazing ideas from it. You can view more information on all Mark Bittman’s terrific cook books at my Stuff I Like on Amazon store, or by clicking the Amazon Banner at the bottom of this page. You can also find great information and more recipes from Mark at his website Mark Bittman, and of course, the New York Times.

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