Summer Blessings

There are some words that should never be uttered. Things like - "I"m so tired of fresh tomatoes." I might be getting there with our garden vastly outproducing anything that dear husband and I can consume or put up. But with South Dakota winter just an artic breeze away, I stifle any such thoughts knowing unattainable dreams of fresh garden produce are on the horizon.

We had our outdoor summer service recently and I secretly assessed the potluck dishes and their use of tomatoes. Then I casually dropped some self-serving questions into a conversation with dear husband - "wasn't that pasta dish with the tomatoes and cucumbers good?" to identify which cooks I needed to ferret out in an attempt to expand our repertoire of yummy tomato dishes.

One of our favorite ways to use tomatoes is to make some good salsa. Salsa was a nemesis for years as we strived for not too runny, not too hot and not too mild. We finally concocted the salsa that was "just right."

With cool nights and football games already upon us, we will make salsa and chips a steady part of our diet and I thought I would share our version. There are only a few recipes that the kids consider "ours" and deserve the family name attached - like Adler Tacos and Adler Salsa. It's a real thing in our family.

Adler Salsa

Ingredients:

8 cups Tomatoes, peeled, chopped & drained

2 cups Onions, chopped

1 ½ Cups Green Peppers, Chopped

1 Cup Jalapeno Peppers, Chopped (see note below)

6 Garlic Cloves, Minced

2 tsp Ground Cumin

2 tsp Pepper

1 1/2 tbsp. Sugar

1 tbsp. Canning Salt

1 Can (15 oz.) Tomato Sauce

1 Can (12 oz.) Tomato Paste

Directions:

To quickly peel tomatoes, place water in saucepan and bring to a boil. Add tomatoes and simmer for 1 minute. Remove tomatoes from water and peels will slip off.

Mix altogether and bring to a slow boil for 10 minutes.

Notes

For mild, remove all seeds from jalapenos

For medium, remove seeds from ½ of jalapenos

For hot, leave seeds in jalapenos

We usually try for a medium salsa - tasty with just a hint of after burn.

Enjoy and I hope you share your favorite tomato recipe. Every recipe helps!