2hipchick: Mmmm, Roasted Salsa!

This year the garden has been a total bust.

I don't know if the cool weather then the extremely hot weather had something to do with it?

But nevertheless, (I love to say that word, just rolls off the tongue.)

the harvest is mininmal.

With the harvest we have had, we made some roasted salsa.

We have made this for the last couple of years and it just keeps getting better.

Yummy flavor and all my favorite salsa qualities.

A little hot, a little sweet, a little spicy...so give it a try!

Like the name says, it's roasted.

So first, place all the veggies, besides the tomatoes on a pan, with sides, for roasting.

The tomatoes get too juicy to roast with the rest.

Roast these for however long it takes for them to start browning, about 30-45 minutes in 350 degree oven.

We even roasted our own garlic this year. We got two cloves from the garden. Wrap in foil, cover with olive oil, then place in 400 degree oven for, oh I don't know, maybe an hour?

I don't think it takes that long, but we went out to see the chickens and forgot about it and

that's how long it was in the oven.

So, probably 30 minutes would have taken care of it.

We did this ahead of time, but you could throw the peeled garlic cloves

right in the pan with the other veggies.

Oh, how I love garlic!

We also smear this on toasted bread and dip in olive oil and herbs.

Drool.

Roast the tomatoes in 450 degree oven for about 35 minutes.

Seriously, this is pretty much all the tomatoes we got from the garden.

We have had a few straglers before and after, but this was the main crop.

We usually have this 10 times over.

Keep roasting, things are starting to brown.

Shriveled, roasted and so yummy.

Doesn't really look that good, but trust me, the taste makes up for the ugliness.

After everything is roasted, the skins have to be peeled.

For me this is very therapeutic and I get sort of obsessed about getting all the skin off.

Well, that's just me.

This is the best part.

Just blend it all together!

Really that's it!

Isn't it pretty?

I didn't get a shot of the cilantro being added, but just put a bunch in and blend.

Okay, so I know there are those cilantro haters out there.

I don't understand you, but I know you are out there.

You do not have to put the cilantro in, but it really does make the salsa.

Just add some extra oregano or something.

Get the chips, somebody!

Roasted Salsa:

2 lbs ripe tomatoes

3 or 4 jalepenos

1 small onion sliced in half

6 garlic cloves

1/4 cup water

Salt, pepper and sugar to taste

1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro

2 or 3 sprigs of fresh oregano, or 1/2 t. dried

Roast tomatoes in a 450-degree oven until browned, about 35 minutes.

Roast jalapenos/onion/garlic separately from tomatoes in a 350-degree oven until browned, about 30-45 minutes. Peel stems and skins from tomatoes and peppers. Puree all ingredients together. Add sugar, salt & pepper to taste. Enjoy!

I give the recipe above, however, that does not mean we follow it. In the pictures you can see we added more onions, and used purple ones even. Also, we just throw in whatever peppers we are getting from the garden which happened to be some pablanos, so throw in what you like, it's okay!

Really the only challenging thing in the recipe is removing the skins from the peppers and tomatoes. I just grab a pair of tongs and pick them off. Actually, that step probably doesn't even have to be done, but that's how we like it. In past years we made so much that we had some to put in the freezer and it was great. Don't see that happening this year.

FUN NUGGET: