Cuisine: Jason's Simple Salsa for Queerly Complex People... (draft)

I love tomatoes, especially any of the heirloom variety. I didn't used to like them. Growing up I always had to eat them with a little sugar sprinkled over the top just like my grandpa, or they had to be in a spaghetti sauce or in a salsa.

Then, I grew up and my palate changed. I now love tomatoes. Love them. They are perfect raw or cooked; in salads, on sandwiches, or in soups. If they are an heirloom variety, I can just take a giant bite out of them and eat them like an apple. I absolutely can't get enough of them.

Tomatoes are the main reason I love, love, love salsa. This recipe takes a simple salsa and spruces it up with some nectarine. Now, you maybe thinking, "Why in the world is a nectarine doing in salsa?" The answer is,"It tastes damn good. That's why!"

You're just going to have to trust me on this one. Go out and buy a tasty nectarine, a beautiful tomato, and enjoy this very tart, sweet, spicy, and salty salsa.

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You Will Need:
1 Nectarine
1 large Heriloom Tomato
1 Serrano Pepper, cored and seeded
1/2 Yellow Onion
1 Yellow Pepper
2 tsp. Salt
1 Tbsp. Sugar
Grape Seed Oil

What To Do:
Dice nectarines and tomatoes.
Slice the pepper thinly.
Thinly slice yellow onion length-wise.
Chop yellow pepper in thin, short slices.
Combine ALL ingredients.
Let sit 30 minutes or longer.
Serve!

Cuisine: I Can't Believe It's Not Bruschetta!

I love bruschetta. It is simple to make and tastes divine on some crusty bread. I also love salsa, especially the spicy kind. Since the ingredients of each are similar, I decided to take a stab at blending the two. And...boy was I surprised. It was absolutely marvelous!! It had a simple kick and nice robust tartness thanks to heirloom tomatoes. Enjoy!

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You Will Need:
3 Fresh Tomatoes, diced
1 Red Onion, diced
2 Jalapenos, cored, seeded, and diced
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 tsp. Salt


What To Do:
Combine ALL ingredients and let sit. Serve similar to Bruschetta or salsa.

Excellent on sandwiches!!

Cuisine: Spicy Veggie Chili

This just came together. I started cooking not knowing what I was about to prepare only that I wanted something with...even that I wasn't sure of. I selected an onion and looked at it. It looked lonely, so I added another. Then, the soyrizo, carrots, jalapenos, and garlic said "eat me", and the jar of pepperocinis and the half eaten bag of frozen corn said "finish me". I had a lone can of El Tapo tomato sauce sitting on my shelf and one can of diced tomatoes. They seemed as lonely as the onions and seemed a very fitting companion to these other fine flavors. I looked at the simmering stew, and it looked almost naked. Something was missing. I opened the cabinet and there it was. One last can of white beans. Perfecto! This spicy veggie chili was born. And with it a new recipe to pass along.

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Ingredients
3 to 4 T olive oil
2 onions, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 can diced jalapeno
5 cloves garlic, diced
1 soyrizo
1/3 jar pepperocini including garlic cloves, diced
1 can El Tapo Tomato Sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
salt
pepper

Directions
Heat two tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over high heat. Add the onion and saute for five minutes. Add carrots and saute for another five minutes. Turn heat down to medium high and saute for another five minutes. Add the jalapeno and garlic and saute for five minutes. Add the rest of the oil and add the soyrizo. Fry for fifteen minutes. Add the pepperocini and saute for five minutes. Add the tomato sauce and entire can of tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add the corn and beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for about 45 minutes. Serve with your favorite starch.

This was served with Orzo Casserole from Epicurean.