The secret to excellent salsa

We're making salsa today!! Actually, we MADE salsa since we're done and all that's left is to jar it up. It's cooking down right now.

I would be remiss in not sharing our salsa recipe with you guys. This is Trish's recipe so I'm going on memory here:

Cherokee Purple tomatoes (around 2 gallons after they are skinned, seeded and chopped) (You can substitute for an inferior tomato if you want, but I wouldn't recommend that.)

Bell peppers
Habanaro peppers (around 1/5 of a pound)
Onions
Celery
Garlic
carrots (yes, carrots!)
Cilantro (fresh please)

Now, HERE IS THE SECRET! Take these veggies, core the peppers and julian the carrots (peel and cut in 4 long strips). Leave everything else whole.

Go outside and in your charcoal grill, build a big fire with liveoak or other hardwood. Let the fire get good and hot and then add some wet or green wood for smoke. Then roast every single item that goes into the salsa. Roast it all for several minutes each. Then peel the tomatoes (they'll be easy at that point). Chop everything up and throw it in a big pot and boil over high heat on the stove until it's cooked down to the consistency you like.

Use a hand-held blender to really puree if you want. Also add canned tomato sauce or paste to taste.

The oak fire gives the salsa a character that you'll never believe until you try. And, once you try this method, you'll never go back!

YUM YUM YUM!

dave