my best friend loves mexican food with a passion. really, any kind of latino cuisine is right up her alley. and since half of my family is uruguayan, we make empanadas, torta pasqualina, and bombas around the holidays (and don’t even get me started on the chivito…). but during the rest of the year, and when i’m not around Bonnie, i generally don’t eat latino food. (no, i don’t crave chipotle like most other college kids do.. and they eat it five times a week :] ) BUT, on occasion, i really enjoy chips and salsa. since i can’t have fresh guac (avocados are a no-no for my allergies), i stick to pico de gallo and salty tortilla chips. mmm.
well, cilantro is now in season. and at my favorite tomato stand at the farmers’ market today, the cilantro was perched strategically over the heirlooms and i could not resist– i bought a gorgeous bunch of the herb and three beautiful brandywine tomatoes. i remembered that i had a red onion, fresh garlic, and the necessary spices at home to make the most wonderful salsa, and sprinted home.
this salsa is so fresh and delicious that you will never, ever buy it in the grocery again. i’d like to think it rivals the pico of many of my favorite mexican restaurants.. :]
start by dicing two or three medium size tomatoes into salsa-sized pieces. you can make them bigger or smaller depending upon how you like your salsa to be.
the next step is the red onion and garlic. they are key to any good pico de gallo, but im not a huge fan of raw onion and raw garlic in my food if i am going to come in contact with any other human being in the next 24 hours. so, i came up with the perfect solution that works wonders in your salsa. dice up about an eighth of a red onion (or more to your taste) and throw it in a sauté pan with a touch of olive oil. then, mash and mince a clove of garlic and add it in to the pan in the last minute or so (be careful not to burn it!) you’re not sweating or caramelizing the onions and garlic, just adding them for a minute to soften and take the strong flavors out.
let this mixture cool for a few minutes while you chop your fresh cilantro and collect the rest of your ingredients. for the cilantro, i grabbed my beautiful bunch and tore off the top section of leaves. i gathered them tightly and rolled them together as well as i could, and ran my knife through the pile (**note: you just learned how to
chiffonade! well done!) i cut mine a little finer one more time to make the pieces easier to mix through the salsa.
with the onion/garlic mixture cooled a bit, i tossed it on top of the tomatoes with the cilantro. the finishing touches to spice up the pico de gallo are crucial:
lime, good olive oil, fresh pepper, and salt. you won’t need much oil because the tomatoes are nice and juicy, but add a tiny drizzle for flavor. squeeze a fresh lime if you have one, or just use about two tablespoons of lime juice (more or less to your liking). with a nice crack of pepper and a generous sprinkling of salt (**note: the salt is super important to bring out the flavor of the ingredients!), toss and you’re all set to go!
serve with tortilla chips, as a topping on fish tacos, toss in a salad or an omelet… the possibilities are endless! this is a pico de gallo you will be making again and again :]
Kara in Sverige 
