I have the best intentions of going to the grocery for salmon and salad most evenings. It’s just the darndest thing… I usually walk out of the store with a bag of chips, a jar of salsa, a bottle of wine, and sometimes a box of cookies (as if I don’t make enough cookies of my own). Sometimes it’s cold cereal, almond milk, and wine. Sometimes it’s just quinoa and wine.
I don’t know… I can make a pie, it’s just that dinner is sometimes asking too much.
Today I went to the grocery and picked up ingredients to make salsa… for dinner. Not just a jar.
It’s summer vegetables (with hella chips)! Justification complete.
On a scale from mild to AAAHHHHHHH!!!, hatch chiles are a medium-spicy. They have a little kick that some might refer to as a big kick.
When thrown on a pan with cherry tomatoes, whole garlic cloves and red onion, the whole mixture puckers and blisters. The more char you create the more delicious your salsa will be.
It’s an aggressive roast. Why not just go for it?
Charred tomatoes and chiles make their way into the food processor.
Wait… that’s after we remove the tops and seeds from the hatch chiles.
And you know what handling chiles means, right? Wash yo hands, on the real.
We’re going to need a big squeeze of lime and maybe a dash of water. Blend that sucker up! Now it’s salsa!!
Salsa with chips. Go on and call it dinner. You’re in good company. You’re in my company.
This salsa has depth thanks to the roasting. We’ve intensified the tomatoes and chiles, onions and garlic, making this salsa completely irresistable. The spice is there, but it’s delicious, not impossible.
It’s good stuff. Of course it is!
Blackened Hatch and Tomato Salsa
makes about 2 cups
super delicious and inspired by Kitchen Konfidence
3 hatch chile peppers
1 small red onion, peeled and quartered
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 pound cherry tomatoes
salt, fresh cracked black pepper and a good drizzle of olive oil
juice of 1 or 2 limes
small handful fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
splash of water, to thin it out a bit
Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place whole hatch chiles, quartered onion, whole garlic cloves, and whole cherry tomatoes on an unlined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and fresh cracked pepper.
Place in the oven and allow to roast for 20 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the oven and toss the vegetables together. Place the oven on t he broiler setting to char the vegetables (this works best in a gas oven). Place the vegetables as close to the broiler as possible and keep an eye on the vegetables as they begin to char. Remove from the broiler and toss as necessary until the desired char is reached.
Remove from the oven and allow to rest until cool enough to handle. Place the onion, garlic,and tomato in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment.
Place chiles on a cutting board. Use a knife to remove their tops and cut lengthwise down the center. Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and discard. Coarsely chop the chiles and add to the bowl of the food processor. Add lime juice and a few tablespoons of water. Blend until combined. Stir in cilantro if using. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill until ready to serve.
Belinda @themoonblushbaker
No idea that salsa was so easy to make, no more jar stuff for me! Love shopping too but god I can not step out of super market with out a bag of sugar and a block of butter. If i wanted to make this spicier could i roast the small chilli in the mix too?
Ana
Add a jalapeno or a habanero pepper. That should do the trick.
shelly @ ohshellsbells
Thanks for identifying this chile for me. it came in my CSA box and I have been too lazy to do any research into what it is. I just cut one up one day, threw it in a stir fry and found out the hard way I’m one that thinks it has a big kick!
Rochelle
Gorgeous salsa! I have a ton of cherry tomatoes from the garden that are begging to be roasted. I guess I can make another trip out there to get the onions and peppers too! Thank you for the inspiration.
Averie @ Averie Cooks
Brandon’s recipe looked great last summer and you made yours look great now – LOVING these flavors and homemade salsa cannot be beat. Mmmm, I’d love some right now!
Kezia
That looks so good! I’ve never tried making a salsa from roasted ingredients. And definitely, definitely wash your hands after handling the chilli (says the gal who got chilli in her eye)!
Louisa @ My Family & Abruzzo
Homemade salsa and/or hummus, crisps (chips) and white wine – totally get it! It’s one of my Friday night favs.
Nelly Ritchie
That is my kind of dinner. My boyfriend is all about the proper dinner, meat and potatoes type of guy.
I am more of a cereal with my gin and tonic kind of girl…
Its hard.
joythebaker
cereal and gin and tonic sounds right up my alley!
Jayne
I’ve been seeing this hatch chile thing all over Instagram. :-)
joythebaker
they’re in season now and we’re excited about it!
Ana
I’m from New Mexico. We’re fanatical about the stuff. I suggest putting it on a pizza or on a cheeseburger. Pure bliss.
Sophie @ The Spotty Teapot
Salsa is always a good choice for dinner, i love making my own salsa, as I find that the supermarkets don’t always do it the way I like.
This just looks delicious, and it’s making me hungry :)
X
carla
perfect snack <3
Carla Cee
Robyn
That is summer dinner- or even one of my many snacks!
Haley
Yum!! This looks so easy! I will have to try this. I’ll let you know when I do!
Sarah | The Sugar Hit
Luuuuuurrr that salsa. This looks like total sunset snack food. On a deck somewhere with a cold drink, ya know?
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
yes please to chips and salsa for dinner! summer living at its best.
Brandon @ Kitchen Konfidence
Thanks for the mention. This is one if my FAV salsas. So glad you liked it :)