Fresh Tomato Salsa | Pico de Gallo

I took this salsa to a party with a Mexican theme. This salsa was clearly the winner in the "salsa wars." Just saying. Or people were just being nice =)

One of the tricks to increasing the intensity of the tomato flavor is to salt the chopped tomatoes and let them  sit over a strainer to drain off some of the water. The salsa is best served the day that it is made, but can be kept in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

It's also great for making mini chicken tostada appetizers. 

This recipe makes about two cups of salsa. Adapted from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless.

Fresh Tomato Salsa

Ingredients

One pound of Roma tomatoes (about 4 or 5) cut into quarters.

1/2 tsp salt

2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 serrano chiles, halved and seeds removed (I use a demitasse spoon to remove the seeds)
1/3 C roughly chopped cilantro
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 T fresh lime juice
Salt to taste

Instructions

• In the bowl of a food processor, pulse all of the tomatoes except one whole tomato (four quarters) 4 to 6 times to achieve a course puree. 
• Pour the tomatoes into a bowl and stir in the salt.
• Pour the tomato/salt mixture into a strainer and suspend it over a bowl for about 30 minutes to let the extra water drain out. 
• Meanwhile, add the garlic and chiles into the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the last tomato and the cilantro and pulse 4 to 6 times. 
• Place this mixture and the green onions into a serving bowl and add the rest of the drained tomatoes and stir. 
• Add the lime juice and taste. Add any needed salt if necessary. 

Enjoy!