Summer Salsa

This Roasted Tomato Salsa  has quickly become my favourite go-to  salsa recipe.  The smokiness of the fire-roasted tomatoes and roasting the chiles & garlic elevate this to a new kind of wonderful.  This recipe should be eaten preferable the same day it's made or will be fine in the fridge for a couple of days.  However, don't plan keeping this refrigerated for long as it will lose it's flavour.  I hope you enjoy it!

Rustic Roasted Tomato Salsa
(Mexican Everyday, Rick Bayliss -- with a little change-up by me)

2 fresh jalapeno chiles (or 4 serrano chiles)
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
One 14-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro
Juice of half a lime
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

In a small skillet over medium heat, lay the chiles and garlic in the skillet and dry-roast until soft and blotchy black in spots (about 15 minutes or so).  I like to use a cast-iron skillet for this job.

While the chiles and garlic are roasting, scoop the chopped onion into a strainer and rinse under cold water.  Shake off the excess water and put into a medium bowl.  This step takes the "edge" off the onions and makes them less acrid/more subdued in flavour.

When the chiles and garlic cloves are sufficiently roasted, pull the stems off the roasted chiles and peel the paper skins off the garlic.  Scoop them into a food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped.  Add the tomatoes (including their juice) and pulse a few more times until the mixture is as coarse or as smooth as you want.

Pour the tomato mixture into the bowl with the onion.  Add the cilantro, lime juice, and salt.

Thin with a little water, if necessary to give the salsa an easily spoonable consistency.

If not using within a couple of hours, cover and refrigerate.