Roasted Tomato Salsa

It may already be October, but my garden is still producing some last tomatoes, so I used them to make this delicious roasted tomato salsa. Popping the tomatoes (and some of the other components) in the oven adds a nice sweetness to the salsa, and I included both jalapeno and chipotle peppers to give this salsa a good spicy kick. The great thing is how truly easy this salsa is – give some veggies a rough chop, toss them in the oven, and then blend with a few other ingredients. I love having salsa around for adding to sandwiches, putting in burritos or tacos, or having with my eggs in the morning.

Roasted Tomato Salsa
Yield: approximately 2 cups

Ingredients:

• 2 cups tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
• 2 stalks green onion, ends removed
• 1 jalapeno pepper, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, sliced
• 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 chipotle pepper
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• lime juice, to taste

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups tomatoes, halved, 1/2 onion, roughly chopped, 2 stalks green onion, ends removed, 1 jalapeno pepper, halved, and 1 clove garlic, sliced. Toss with 1/2 Tbsp olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste, then transfer to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
3. Roast in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes, until the onions start to caramelize, the pepper blackens, and the tomatoes collapse, then remove from the oven and let cool.
4. Transfer the roasted veggies to a bowl, making sure to get all the juices. Add 1 chipotle pepper, 1/4 cup cilantro, and lime juice, to taste. Blend using a food processor, blender, or immersion blender (I love my immersion blender, it’s really the easiest solution for tasks like this).
5. Cover the bowl or move the salsa to a jar and refrigerate. You can use the salsa immediately, but the flavors will be even better after having a chance to meld in the refrigerator for a couple hours.