Indian Summer Salsa Recipe
Sinkology is proud to present Emily Schuermann, our food-loving guest blogger who runs Food for a Year. Emily is here to share some recipes she has created exclusively for the Sinkology blog that reflect her view of a copper sink: simple, timeless, affordable, and beautifully rustic.
October may just be my favorite time of the year. The days are beginning and ending with a crisp chill in the air but the but midday temperatures are still rising to the low 80’s. As the weeks pass the leaves are beginning to show hints of Fall as well with hints of red, yellow, copper & orange. And my garden is loving the weather as well, specifically my tomatoes.
The plants are bursting with clusters of tomatoes – it’s a beautiful sight to behold. But because it’s Fall, this bonus crop is ripening very slowly and that first frost is getting closer and closer. That’s how I got my idea for Indian Summer Salsa.
This simple recipe makes use of all the green garden tomatoes that won’t get the chance to fully ripen before the first frost. But you may be thinking – “I don’t have any green tomatoes, I don’t even have a garden! How can I make this recipe?!” Don’t worry! Store bought ripe tomatoes will substitute nicely – the only thing you’ll be missing is the hint of sourness that’s natural to green tomatoes.
I start off by rinsing off tomatoes & peppers and placing them in a roasting panThen, place 3-4 cloves of garlic on a piece of foil with a drizzle of canola oil. Wrap the foil tightly, but be sure to leave a pocket of air inside the foil. Set the foil packet of garlic atop the peppers and tomatoes and roast in a 500° oven for about 20 minutes.
Once the skins of the tomatoes and peppers begin to char slightly, remove the roasting pan from the oven and allow the veggies to cool for 10-15 minutes.
I chose to remove most of the seeds from my peppers, however that’s not an essential step if you like hot salsa.
Unwrap the garlic and discard the papery skin. Place tomatoes, peppers and garlic into a food processor. Add chives, cilantro, salt, pepper and sugar and pulse until everything is evenly chopped and to your desired consistency. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as desired.
I typically don’t roast my red tomatoes before turning them into salsa, but these green tomatoes are so hard and sour that I decided to give the a flavor boost. The higher oven temperature helps to bring out some much needed sweetness by caramelizing the juices and softens the tomatoes nicely. Roasting at this high temperature also adds that hint of smoky char that goes so well with the other flavors in this salsa.
Whether served with chips as a yummy snack or over your favorite taco or creamy enchiladas this salsa is certain to satisfy your cravings!
- 5 c tomatoes* (I used most green - unripened tomatoes), rinsed
- 3 cloves garlic*, roasted
- 1 t canola oil
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 2-3 hot peppers*, roasted
- 4 T chopped fresh chives
- 1-2 t salt
- 1 t pepper
- ½ t sugar (optional)
- Preheat oven to 500°. Place rinsed tomatoes & peppers in a roasting pan. Next, set cloves of garlic on a piece of foil with a drizzle of canola oil. Wrap the foil tightly but be sure to leave a pocket of air inside the foil. Set the foil packet of garlic atop the peppers and tomatoes and roast them in a 500° oven for about 20 minutes.
- Once the skins of the tomatoes and peppers have begun to slightly char remove the roasting pan from the oven and allow the veggies to cool for 10-15 minutes.
- I chose to remove the most of the seeds from my peppers, however that's not an essential step if you like hot salsa.
- Unwrap the garlic and discard the papery skin.
- Place tomatoes, peppers and garlic into a food processor. Add chives, cilantro, salt, pepper and sugar and pulse until everything is evenly chopped.
- Taste and add additional salt and pepper as desired.
- Serves 10
- *Red tomatoes will substitute perfectly for green tomatoes.
- *Use more or less peppers to reach desired heat. Removing seeds can help control the heat.
- *Roasted garlic is optional.
Copper Sink TIP :: If you have a copper sink like I do, don’t worry if some of the juice from these roasted tomatoes drips into your sink and lifts off the aged copper patina in spots! It will naturally return in just a few days. Just one of the many ways that this low maintenance copper sink is real-life kitchen friendly.
For more recipes from our copper-loving foodie, check out our blog. If you have any questions about copper or copper sinks, our Sinkologists are here to help. Contact us or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Houzz, Pinterest, or Instagram for helpful tips, recipes, and design ideas.