Lisa's Salsa

To make my very own salsa, have ready:

5 lbs. tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 large red inion, diced
1 large white onion, diced
2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 lbs. tomatillos, diced
1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Juice from 4 limes (approx. 1/2 cup)
1 lb. fresh strawberries, finely chopped
2 bunches cilantro, finely chopped

The Peppers:
I tend to buy whatever is available and looks good.  The variety of peppers varies from batch to batch but the peppers that always get used are Jalapeño and Serrano.  Other common peppers used include:

Georgia Flame
Banana
Melrose
Cubanelle
Anaheim

Begin by dicing the tomatoes.  Add them to a huge bowl so you'll have plenty of room to toss everything together.   Add the other ingredients to the tomatoes in the order listed above.  Toss everything together as each ingredient is added to get a visual on the ratio of each component.  The tomatoes should be the largest in size and volume.   Since we eat with our eyes first, the medley should look balanced too.

Unlike the other ingredients, the peppers never get minced by hand.  The reason for this is because, too many times to count, I've ended up rubbing one of my eyes with a capsaicin-laden finger and then howl and weep for at least twenty minutes following my mistake.  Use a small electric mill or food processor to mince the peppers.  Lop off the tops of the peppers and then split them lengthwise.  Use a paring knife to remove the seeds and membrane of the peppers to your liking.  (I'm not overly picky about this process.  In fact, it's pretty random.  Some peppers are stripped clean, others are simply chopped without being cleaned, and some peppers still have some of the seeds and membrane attached.)  Coarsely chop and drop the peppers in the food processor and loosely mince them.

Allow the salsa to steep at room temperature, stirring periodically, for and hour or two before refrigerating.  Taste and adjust with salt if needed, or to add additional peppers for more heat.

This recipe will yield about a gallon and a half of salsa.  I've tried to make less but, really, why?  It should go without saying that the best time to make salsa is in the summertime when the produce is in season, especially the tomatoes.

Enjoy!