As we continue to celebrate the National Strawberry Month – and since it’s also National Salsa Month! – below is my latest creation: a recipe for Strawberry Salsa Fresca.
If you are lucky enough to live where strawberries grow, today (May 20th) is National Pick Your Own Strawberry Day. I live in the low desert, so strawberries aren’t grown here. Up in the mountains of Arizona there is a town called Strawberry and its neighbor Pine, AZ. If you live in Arizona, that’s the place to go to get fresh berries so you can make compotes, jams, and syrups. And then partake of their goodness all year long. The towns are also celebrating the 25th annual Strawberry Festival, held June 6-7th, 2015.
Serve this refreshing salsa with cinnamon-dusted sopapillas or eat it on a salad instead of dressing. It adds that bite of tart with a bit of sweet, and with the heat of the jalapeno can really wake your salad up.
Try other experiments as well. Breakfast is well-loved any time of day or night, so try stirring it into your pancake mix. If doing it this way, I would leave out the cilantro and jicama and just add in strawberries, jalapeno, Bee Free Honee, and a splash of the vinegar. Try it on a pulled jackfruit taco (that makes me hungry just thinking about it).
However you use this salsa fresca, I’ll be excited to hear your stories. And if you can think of something else that I missed let me know, I can post your experiments/results over on our Facebook page.
- 1 ½ cups strawberries, small dice
- 1/3 cup jicama, brunoise
- 2 tbsp poblano chili, minced
- 1 tsp cilantro, chiffonade
- 3 or 4 leaves mint, chiffonade
- 1/8 tsp salt
- Pinch of cracked black pepper (whole seeds that are partially ground)
- 1/8 tsp coriander seed, toasted and ground
- 1 tsp white balsamic vinegar (found near dark balsamic vinegar, ask your grocer if you aren’t sure)
- 1/8 tsp lime juice
- Prepare all the vegetables and herbs. Mix in liquids and spices. Let sit for several hours.
- Serve as a specialty salsa at parties.
