eat make read

It happened again. I saw pretty fruit at the market and just couldn’t resist it. It’s that time of year when the market is in full swing, with lovely berries, stone fruits, plump tomatoes, all sorts of peppers along with everything in between. I’ve decided this is the summer of salsa, because I’ve been making at least one batch a week. I usually just chop up a bunch stuff, squeeze a little lime juice in it and call it salsa. This time I wasn’t necessarily even looking to make salsa, but I found this recipe that includes cherries, peaches and jalepeños and I was sold. Then I read it was written by Justin Rashid of American Spoon Foods and I knew not only that I was going to make it, but it was going to be awesomely delicious. If you’re unfamiliar with the American Spoon Company, they make delicious jams and spreads and they’re from Michigan, so they have a special place in my heart (I was born and raised in Michigan).

There’s something soothing about pitting cherries. You could use a cherry pitter for this if you’d like, but I found it much easier to just poke the pit out and tear the cherry in half. If you set a pit bowl up next to your salsa bowl, it will soon become rhythmic, pick up cherry, split cherry, drop the pit and repeat. Maybe I’m just weird. I was pretty loose with this recipe and just kind of meandered my way through it without following it to a T. My cherries weren’t all halved, sometimes they were quartered though, my onions weren’t perfectly cut and the peaches were smallish. In my opinion, salsa is one of those things that is more organic in it’s process, you don’t need to be exact with it.

Once I’d added everything I just tossed it all together with my hands to make sure it was well blended and then I just left it to relax. The recipe says that it needs at least an hour for the flavors to meld, and I think that’s true with just about any salsa recipe. In fact, if you have time to let it sit overnight, it’s probably only going to get better.

I tried this salsa out on some corn pudding that I whipped up (just a combination of corn, milk and a little butter) and it was heavenly. The cherries have a sour tinge that work well with onion, but then the jalepenos slip in and give a little zing. The peaches work surprisingly well with the savory flavors. I think each ingredient’s flavor is heightened through the combination of them all. It’s really a terrific way to enjoy the market’s bounty. The salsa is complex and adds awesome flavor to whatever you put it on.  Try it on corn, chicken or on a tortilla chip, it’s going to taste great on them all.

sour cherry & peach salsa
modified from Justin Rashid’s recipe found on epicurious

Makes 9 cups
I halved the recipe and still have an abundance, below is the full recipe

1 quart (4 cups) fresh sour cherries, pitted and halved, with juice (or substitute 1 quart frozen pitted sour cherries, whole and unthawed)
2 nectarines, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 medium red onion, finely diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt

1
Combine all ingredients in nonreactive bowl and stir well.
2
Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow flavors to meld. Serve with grilled chicken, pork, and other meats or with corn chips.
Keeps for several days refrigerated.