pico de gallo is definitely my favorite salsa.  maybe even my favorite food?  hard to say.  so many foods i love so much. but i digress.

i thought this salsa required perfectly-ripened summer tomatoes ~ and of course, that would be ideal.  but i figured out a way to get the fresh color and fresh taste, without denying yourself until the summer season!

here’s a pic to tempt your taste buds.

in march, no less!!!

so here’s the trick ~ roasted red pepper mixed in with the grocery store tomatoes.  they mask the dullness of an early spring tomato.

here’s the recipe!

pico de gallo 

first ~ roast a whole red pepper, rubbed with olive oil, in a 400 degree oven, for 20 minutes.  let cool.

then ~ chop and drop the following:

• the red pepper, seeded (you can peel it too, but i didn’t)
• 4 or 5 of the reddest tomatoes you can find
• 2 jalapenos, seeded
• red onion (to taste)
• cilantro (to taste)
• juice of a lime or two
• salt and pepper

that’s it!  throw a lid on it and put it in the fridge for a week of delicious, ready-to-go salsa!

one more mouth-watering pic…