Fresh Salsa, Take II

Last month I shared how to make a potted herb garden. I hope you planted one of your own! My cilantro is starting to go to seed, so I picked a bunch of leaves today while I still had the chance. I love making fresh salsa; in fact, I shared one of my favorite salsa recipes last fall.

I wanted to start with that same tomato-onion-citrus combo, but this time I made some changes to the veggies and herbs for different color, texture, and flavor. I think I like this one even better than the original and I'd love to know what you think! You'll need:

2 fresh tomatoes, chopped

1 avocado, chopped

1 medium cucumber, chopped (I scooped out the seeds first)

1/2 jalapeño, finely chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1 or 2 (or 3 or 5) cloves garlic, minced

1-2 tsp chopped fresh cilantro

1 tsp chopped fresh oregano

1/4 tsp cumin (optional)

juice of 1 lime

salt to taste

Combine all of the veggies, squeeze lime juice over all, stir in herbs and salt, and allow to chill for at least an hour. This is delicious as a dip or on top of burritos, grilled fish or chicken.

Just like last time, my kids prefer this blended (what can I say, they don't like "chunky" salsa). After blending it looks a bit like guacamole with a very thin consistency. Try replacing the avocado with a chopped mango or peach. Or replace the avocado and cucumber with two cups of chopped melon! I'd love to know your favorite way to make salsa!

Make sure you have some cilantro left for tomorrow's recipe. I "discovered" my new favorite drink today while playing with the herbs. Here's a sneak peek:

(Oh, and if your cilantro is going to seed, make sure you keep some of the seed pods for future recipes. That's coriander, and I'll be sharing a recipe for it this fall!)