recipe tips

One of the condiments we find ourselves bringing to nearly every Omaha catering event is our homemade restaurant-style salsa. Homemade restaurant-style salsa is a hit with nearly everyone at any event we cater. Now we’re sharing our recipe with you so you can keep enjoying it at home. We’re also throwing in a bonus recipe for our roasted beets – another customer favorite.

PC and C Version of Restaurant Style Salsa

Ingredients

• 8 pounds of ripe, meaty Roma Tomatoes
• 3 jalapenos and 3 Hungarian hot banana peppers (leave the seeds in for a hot salsa—We do!)
• 3 cups of chopped yellow onions
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 4 large minced garlic cloves
• ½ cup white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Drop the tomatoes in the boiling water for 30 seconds then remove. Peel the tomato skins and chop in food processor.
2. Place the tomatoes in a large stockpot along with the vinegar. Add all remaining ingredients. Stir to combine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
3. While the salsa is simmering, follow standard canning procedure to sterilize the jars and lids.
4. Fill the hot jars with the hot salsa, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe the jars and close the lids. Place the jars in boiling water for 15 minutes. Make sure the jars fully submerged underwater with several inches of water above them. Remove the jars and let them rest undisturbed for 24 hours before moving them.
5. Store in a cool, dark place. It is best to use within a 6-month time frame, but it will keep up to a year.

Recipe makes 8 pints.

Roasted Beets

Ingredients

• 12 beets
• 3 tablespoons EVOO
• 1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, minced
• 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
• 2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
• Juice of 1 large orange

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Remove the tops and the roots of the beets and peel each one with a vegetable peeler. Cut the beets into chunks.
3. Place the cut beets on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, thyme leaves and salt. Roast for about 30 minutes until the beets are tender. Remove from the oven and immediately toss with vinegar and orange juice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve warm.

These are great on by themselves or on a salad with some locally sourced goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette.

Your local extension service is a great resource for planting and preserving your harvest.