Winning Raw Salsa recipe

Okay, I'm guilty of not posting anything for quite a while.

Finally I have something interesting to post and I get to brag a little too!

I created a recipe for a raw salsa & I entered it in the Crossroads Farmers Market Salsa Contest on Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012. I won the award for Best Use of Ingredients.

For those of you who don't eat tomatoes, have no fear because this version of salsa contains no tomatoes. The key ingredient in the blended portion is strawberries instead of the more traditional tomatoes.

As much as possible I tried to use ingredients that can be locally grown or bought from local farmers at the farmers market. I bought my raw apple cider vinegar from Rockridge Orchards, who have booths at a number of markets around the Seattle area including the Thursday Bellevue Farmers Market.


Below is the recipe for Rosy Rainbow Salsa.

Rosy Rainbow Salsa

By Silvia Wilson

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh strawberries, stemmed & chopped
•  ¼ cup olive oil
•  1 clove elephant garlic, peeled & chopped
•   ¼ cup water
•   2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
•   ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
•   ¼ tsp. sea salt
•   ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
•   ¼ cup red pepper, finely chopped
•   ¼ cup orange pepper, finely chopped
•   ¼ cup yellow pepper, finely chopped
•   ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
•   ½ cup fresh blueberries, if small keep whole, if larger chop in halves
•   ¼ cup finely chopped purple onion

Tools: 

• blender
• cutting knife
• cutting board
• mixing bowl 
• spoon

Method:

1. In a blender, blend until smooth strawberries, olive oil, garlic, water, apple cider vinegar, cilantro, salt & cayenne pepper
2. Add blended mixture to other ingredients in mixing bowl.
3. Mix together with a spoon.
4. Serve with chips, salad or as a sauce to use with any other dish. 

Makes 3-4 cups of salsa.

Notes:

ü Keeps best in a covered glass container in the fridge. A clean empty jar works well.

ü  You can adjust the amount of salt and cayenne according to your taste depending on how salty or spicy you prefer it to be.

Because I prefer the base sauce to be very smooth and creamy, I use a high-powered blender like  a Vitamix. After many years of using blenders that didn't have the power to blend properly or that just didn't last very long. Well, once I got a Vitamix, I just wouldn't go back to using those past unreliable,  gutless blenders! Check it out below!

Below is a photo of the salsa showing the pretty pink color. I recommend having this salsa with carrot-coriander crackers by House of the Sun Raw Food which are pictured beside it.

Here's a photo of the ribbon that I received for my winning entry: