A fresh take on salsa

by Maryjane Butters
| August 8, 2010 9:00 PM

There comes a point in late summer (especially if your garden has been blessed with a bounty) when it seems you've mastered every possible fresh salad and roasted veggie recipe in the books: You've maybe even invented a few. No doubt you've canned, frozen, dried and gifted your goodies till the cows came home. Now what?

The key to freshening up the late summer harvest is getting a little creative, going a little wild. It doesn't matter what plants are left standing in the garden.

Now is the time to gather up the gamut of both fruits and vegetables, and start mixing it up. Even if you don't have your own garden, local farm markets are still teeming with fresh goodies, so fill your bags with abandon. Why? There are sumptuous salsas to be made!

Fresh chopped 'n' tossed medleys from the garden offer bright and flavorful alternatives to the old standby condiments like ketchup and mustard. They're packed with nutrients, too, and are lighter on calories than mayo. And talk about easy: The only tool you need is a knife.

While the standard salsa of tomatoes, onions and peppers is a tried-and-true delight, innovative chefs are boldly inventing new flavor combinations all the time, and they're using an array of ingredients that might surprise you: peaches, pears, berries, watermelon, yellow summer squash, cucumbers and cabbage. The uses for salsas are as varied as the ingredients themselves. They will enhance and enliven almost any dish from chips and sandwiches to meat, potatoes, rice, eggs, soups, yogurt and more.

When it comes to making your own fresh salsa, toss out your traditional salsa notion and get ready to explore, improvise and blaze new trails into the frontier of flavor. To get you started, I've come up with a few ideas that are sure to spark your taste buds as well as your imagination. The garden is waiting!

Zucchini Salsa

You discover your tried-and-true friends when you try to give away your zucchini! Serve this salsa in a hollowed-out zucchini boat.

1 cup zucchini, finely chopped

1 tablespoon salt

2 cups fresh tomatoes, finely chopped

1 cup fresh sweet corn kernels

1 cup red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1/2 cup Anaheim chilies, minced

1/4 cup red onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

2 tablespoons fresh oregano, finely minced, or 1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Mix together the zucchini and salt and let sit for about an hour. Drain and stir in the remaining ingredients.

Watermelon Salsa

As strange as it sounds, this salsa is excellent served on rice.

1 cup watermelon balls (using the small end of a melon scoop)

1 avocado, peeled and diced

1/4 cup red onion, peeled and finely chopped

4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Mix together gently, chill and serve.

Cabbage Salsa

Cabbage gives traditional salsa a fabulous crunch.

2 cups cabbage, shredded or finely chopped

2 tomatoes, finely chopped

1/2 cup onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 small jalapeno chili, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix, chill for 1 hour and serve. This salsa can be sealed and kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.