the memory
I grew up in Vermont where Mexican food was unheard of. I'm talkin' like the grocery stores didn't even carry tortillas! When I first moved to Tucson in 1980, I had never lived anywhere near a desert and didn't even know what a pinto bean was. About a year into living in Tucson, we were invited to cook for a pastors conference. At this conference I was introduced to Joe, Mercy and Roger. I was such a gringo and had no clue what I was doing! So much so that Joe and Mercy lovingly named me Mercy's bleached sister. I don't remember everything that Joe put in his salsa but I sure was watchful in hopes of being able to recreate this delicious salsa. One skill I was not willing to acquire was finely chopping everything by hand, that's too much work. So with a little help from my friends the food processor and time, this recipe has evolved over the years to what it is today. Grab some chips and enjoy!
- 1 - 28oz can of whole tomatoes (cheap tomatoes are the best. You don't want to use the kind that has tomato juice included.)
- 1 - 7oz can of chopped green chilies
- 1-2 - bunches of green onions/scallions (depending how big the bunch is)
- 1 - good size bunch of cilantro
- 1 - yellow banana chili or a jalapeño (I like the flavor of the banana chili better but most people like the hotness of the jalapeño)
- 4 - garlic cloves or a teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 - teaspoon oregano
- 1 - teaspoon of salt
- 2 - shakes of crushed red peppers (or if you‘re Jonathan keep shaking)
- 2 - tablespoons lime juice
Place all ingredients into the food processor and blend 20-30 seconds. I tend to just pulsate it until I get the chunky consistency I like.
Make sure to taste the salsa once it has been mixed. sometimes it may need a bit more salt or lime juice. Enjoy!