Salsa - 

This is a basic starting point. Salsa has a million variations and they are all good. Make your own and don't tell the secret. here are some basic guidelines to work from.

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Tomatoes - diced fresh or blended if you want smooth. Roasted or fresh you can't go wrong if they are ripe.

Onion - chop small- any color you like. White is sharp and crisp, yellow is sweet, red is more tangy or even green onion works also.

Cilantro - if you like cilantro it's the best. If you don't (tastes like soap to you?) leave it out. It adds a great freshness.

Lemon or lime juice. I prefer lime but both work. Don't be shy.

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Chipotle - just the adobo sauce its in or chopped up peppers. Both add a nice smokiness and spice.

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Salt and pepper are both needed. Salt balances the heat and brings out the flavor in the tomato.

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Jalapeno or other fresh pepper. Most of the heat is in the seeds. So leave them out if you don't want heat. Taste a small bit before you add to your salsa. every pepper is different. Some jalapenos are hot and some aren't (comparatively).

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Corn, beans, peppers, jicama, cucumber, pineapple, peaches or mango. Everything you add brings something to the party. Be brave and try it. 

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Here are a couple of salsa recipes but feel free to change them and make your own.

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Roasted tomato salsa

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INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pounds roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise

• 6 unpeeled garlic cloves

• 1 large white onion, peeled, halved and cut into 1/2-inch slices

• 1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed and halved (discard the seeds to reduce the heat if you’d like)

• 1 large handful fresh cilantro leaves

• 1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lime juice

• 2 teaspoons Kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (optional) or chipotle

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DIRECTIONS:

Preheat broiler to high.

Arrange the roma tomatoes (skin side up), garlic cloves (unpeeled!), onion and jalapeno (skin side up) in an even layer on a large baking sheet.

 Broil for 6-8 minutes, or until the tomatoes and jalapenos have blistered and blackened pretty thoroughly on top.

Remove pan from the oven, and peel and discard the skin from the garlic cloves.  (leave a few black bits)

Transfer the tomatoes, garlic, onion and jalapeno to the bowl of a food processor or blender.  At this point (if you’re feeling impatient and hungry), you can either go ahead and add in the remaining ingredients and puree the salsa until it’s smooth while it’s warm.  Or you can transfer the roasted veggies to the refrigerator and let them chill until cooled, then proceed with adding in the remaining ingredients and pureeing the salsa until just a bit chunky.

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Pineapple Chipotle Pico de gallo

(you could blend for a fresh salsa as well)

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This is a simple Pico if you leave out the pineapple and chipotle.

 Ingredients
1 pound tomatoes cut into ¼-inch pieces
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
3 jalapeno peppers seeded, stemmed, and finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
Kosher salt to taste

Chipotle peppers or adobo sauce to taste

Pineapple to taste (roasted is nice also) chop to 1/4 inch pieces
Chips for serving

Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, jalapeno, chipotle, pineapple and lime juice. Season to taste with salt.