Mango Salsa

This is a very simple quick salsa, and I really don't use a recipe but have created one to share with you, especially for those who aren't comfortable cooking without one. Although this uses mango, you could easily substitute a number of different fruits like pineapple, peaches, plums, nectarines... feel free to also add some cucumber, radish or other veggies to give even more of a variation. This is great served alone with corn chips, but also can be used as a condiment for tacos, or grilled fish or meats, black bean soup...

Mango Salsa (makes about 2 cups)

2 small mangos finely chopped
1/2- 1 jalapeno seeded and finely chopped (if you want more heat, leave the seeds in)
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro (about 1/3 of a bunch- measure after chopping)
2-3 TBS freshly squeezed lime juice (1 to 2 limes)
salt to taste (start with 1/4 of a tsp, and if it tastes a little flat add more or if it's not acidic enough, add some more lime juice)

After chopping the onions, let them sit in very cold water for at least 10 minutes and this will remove some of the pungency. Make sure to strain all the water from them before adding them to the salsa. Combine everything in a bowl, and mix. This is best made the day it's served, but it benefits from sitting for an hour or so before serving.

Roasted Tomato Salsa

I am eagerly awaiting those beautiful summer days filled with all sorts of wonderful tomatoes to make fresh tomato pico de gallo. Until then I love this salsa for tomatoes that aren't quite up to par or for when you're looking for something a little thicker and more assertive in flavor. It is very simple and turns even the worst tomatoes into something decent.

Roasted Tomato Salsa (from Rick Bayless Mexico One Plate At a Time)
1 lb tomatoes
3 cloves garlic (skin left on)
1 jalapeno (or more,if you want a spicier salsa)
1/4 cup onion (soak in cold water for 20 minutes)
1/3 cup cilantro
salt
vinegar
lime

Under a broiler, roast the tomatoes on a sheet pan until the skin gets dark and blisters, and starts peeling away from the tomato. In a hot dry skillet (preferably cast iron) on the stove, put the garlic and jalapeno in the pan and turn them every so often until the skin is dark and blistered. Let everything cool. At this point you can go two routes to finish your salsa, either by hand (or using a mortar and pestle) or you can use a food processor (or an immersion blender). What I did was put the jalapeño (to keep it very mild I took out all the seeds and veins)peeled (as best I could) and stemmed into a bowl with the garlic (now peeled) and half of the tomatoes (also peeled and all the flesh and seeds removed) and then I blended it with an immersion blender. I then cut the rest of the tomatoes into a fine dice and added them into the puree (to give it more texture). Drain the onions (soaking takes away some of pungency of the onions) and add that along with the cilantro and seasonings. I added about 1 limes worth of juice, that will all depend on how big the lime is. I also use a little vinegar to perk up the salsa, it usually takes a combination of both the lime and vinegar to season it correctly. If making this far in advance, you can get everything ready, but stop after adding the tomatoes, and wait to add the cilantro and onion until an hour before serving.