Monday, October 20, 2008

Aunt Ginger's Salsa

We were at Aunt Ginger's recently for Uncle Mel's funeral. It was a bittersweet occasion. His passing was such a shock, but as everyone looks back a few weeks, we see that it was his time. It doesn't make it any easier that he's gone however.

Whenever we are there or even when they visit, Aunt Ginger makes her famous salsa and this was no exception.  I asked her for it because I've had a hankering for it --partly missing them plus I love Mexican.  

Here is her response to me. I can just hear her saying it this way and you can get a feel for her personality too as you read it. I want to thank her for sharing it. 

About the salsa: I pretty much made this recipe up----when we lived in El Centro, there were two men from the main office of the company I worked for that came to our plant to do some work and decided to go to Yuma one evening after closing time. They went to a Mexican Restaurant there and when they came back the next day, they had a quart of salsa they had purchased the night before. I didn't even taste it, I just looked at the jar and decided I could make it myself----these guys were taking it back to Fresno to share with their co-workers there. So here goes-------

1 can petite diced tomatoes (28 oz can)
2 cans diced green chilis (2-4oz cans or 1-8 oz can) )
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz can)
1 bunch cilantro (use as much of it as you like--Burke doesn't like cilantro, so I would take some out before I added the cilantro--I do it to taste and I cut it up with scissors--just hold it tightly at the top of the bunch and start giving it a "haircut!")
1 onion, chopped fairly fine (Mel liked it finely chopped but when I was in a hurry it wound up in bigger chunks--do it the way you like it. You can also use green onions if you like them better--I have used them both--depends on how well you like onions!)
1/2 tsp black pepper (again, if you like it a little bit zingyer, use more--add pepper to taste)
1 tsp garlic powder, or I have granules, so that's what I use.
Add salt after it has had time to sit about 30 mins to 1 hour---just salt it to what you like--I have ruined a batch or so by using too much salt.


I think that's it. It's a "guess and by golly science."

1 comment:

B-Blogit said...

Im thinking you should publish a cookbook with all of these recipies! I for sure would get a copy of it.
I love salsa so this i will try too!

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