{"id":1467,"date":"2007-06-05T00:44:00","date_gmt":"2007-06-05T00:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elitemporaryblog.wordpress.com\/2007\/06\/05\/how-it-works"},"modified":"2007-06-05T00:44:00","modified_gmt":"2007-06-05T00:44:00","slug":"how-it-works","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orangette.net\/2007\/06\/how-it-works\/","title":{"rendered":"How it works"},"content":{"rendered":"

I must have pleased the weather gods, or whoever controls rain and shine. Ever since my last post<\/a>, it\u2019s been lovely around here. There\u2019s been sun, sun, and more sun, a whole week of hot days and cold beers and windows wide open. We had a picnic; we went rowing<\/a>; we stuck our feet in the Sound<\/a>; and on Saturday, we even cleaned the basement. (This last might not sound like fun, but I\u2019ll let you in on a secret: when it\u2019s hot outside, our basement is like heaven<\/span>. It\u2019s always a season cooler down there.) It\u2019s been summer. It\u2019s been the bee\u2019s knees. I didn\u2019t even mind the thunderstorm that rolled through last night. It was an especially hot day, and as dusk came on, I raised the windows as far as they would go. Brandon was out at a catering job, and I busied myself with a batch of soup and Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison<\/span><\/a>, and I\u2019m telling you, nothing has ever sounded so sweet as those raindrops on the sill, singing backup for Johnny and June. I swooned a little just writing that sentence.<\/p>\n

At any rate, all this to say that I think the season is finally upon us. All the signs are there, including the most crucial one. This weekend, Brandon made salsa.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Now, before this goes any further, you should know a little something. In one of our first conversations, before we\u2019d even met<\/a>, Brandon talked to me about salsa. We were in the business back then of comparing our favorite foods \u2013 a fitting variation, you could say, on \u201cWhat\u2019s your sign?\u201d \u2013 and one day, he brought it up. Actually, I believe his exact words were, \u201cI love anything with the consistency of salsa.\u201d I didn\u2019t think much of it at the time. I giggled a little, for sure, and thrilled silently for a second at the thought of a man who could care so deeply about sauces and condiments. But I figured he was just being cute and clever, and trying to say the right things. Needless to say, I was wrong. Not about the cuteness or the cleverness, mind you, but about the salsa.<\/p>\n

The truth is, Brandon eats salsa by the quart. He eats salsa like I eat dessert, in great, lusty gulps. Whenever I lose sight of him in the grocery store, all I have to do is head for the tomato display. He\u2019s bound to be there, sniffing and prodding, sizing up the prospects. The man is a salsa machine. He makes it; he eats it; and then he starts again.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Salsa may not sound like anything particularly exciting to make, and it certainly is simple. But a great salsa is special, an alchemy of sweetness and acid with just enough salt. Brandon\u2019s repertoire of salsas includes three varieties: a pico de gallo<\/span>; a fiery green sauce of cilantro, jalape\u00f1os, and garlic; and a grilled or roasted salsa, made from tomatoes and chiles that have been charred over a fire. I mentioned the latter two in a post almost two years ago<\/a>, as accompaniments to a dinner of fresh tortillas and beans. In response to requests, Brandon wrote rough sketches of the recipes in the comments section. But in the time since, he has tweaked and altered his methods, and seeing as he made a particularly spectacular go at the grilled version on Saturday night, I thought it was time to revisit the notion. Plus, it\u2019s summer<\/span>, people. You\u2019re supposed to be making salsa. That\u2019s just how it works.<\/p>\n

Brandon first came upon the idea for his grilled salsa in New York, at Burritoville<\/a>, of all places. He used to stop there for cheap plates of beans and rice and a pass through their salsa bar. One of his favorites was the roasted tomato variety, which the menu on the wall billed as a blend of fire-roasted tomatoes, onions, garlic, and jalape\u00f1os, with cilantro and lemon. One day, he made a mental note of the ingredients list and decided to try making it at home. So it began. Back in his apartment, he roasted the vegetables under the broiler until they were charred and blistered, and then he zizzed them in his housemate\u2019s Cuisinart. Then he sat down with a bag of tortilla chips and ate it – breakfast, lunch, and dinner – for a few days. And then he did it again. He was still doing the same thing, more or less, when he met me. And some days, especially in the summer, he still does.<\/p>\n

One could do a lot worse, I think, than eating salsa all day. Especially this one. The tomatoes still wear the warm flavor of the grill, their fruitiness amplified a notch. Over the heat of the flame, the onion and garlic give up their sharpness in favor of a mellow, savory flavor. Even the jalape\u00f1os relax a little, ceding some of their heat for a low, earthy burn. Punched up with cilantro and lemon, it\u2019s both sweet and acidic, bright and rich, and thick enough to sit tall atop a crisp, salty chip. Which is, come summer, where we all want to be.<\/p>\n

Grilled Tomato Salsa<\/b><\/p>\n

This salsa is delicious with tortilla chips, of course, but also with beans and rice, grilled beef, guacamole, slices of avocado, chile rellenos, or, frankly, almost anything with Mexican leanings. Brandon usually makes it by eye and by taste. It\u2019s hard to mess it up, so play with it as you like. If you choose to cook the vegetables less than Brandon does, your salsa will have a fresher, more raw flavor. If you cook the vegetables longer, your salsa will taste more roasted. Lastly, if you don\u2019t have a grill at the ready, you can achieve the same – or similar – ends with your broiler.<\/p>\n

2 \u00bd – 3 lb. ripe Roma tomatoes
1 large onion
1 head garlic
1 – 4 jalape\u00f1os
2 – 4 lemons or limes, or a mixture of both
\u00bd bunch cilantro
Salt<\/p>\n

Preheat your grill. We use a gas grill, and Brandon sets it to high. If you\u2019re using a charcoal grill, get it nice and hot.<\/p>\n

While the grill heats, prepare the vegetables. Rinse the tomatoes, and set them aside. Peel and trim the onion; then cut it in half along its equator. Trim the top off the head of garlic, revealing the tips of the cloves inside; then wrap the entire head in aluminum foil. Rinse the jalape\u00f1os, and trim off their stems. If you want a very mild salsa, remove their seeds; otherwise, leave them intact.<\/p>\n

Arrange the tomatoes, onion halves, jalape\u00f1os, and garlic on the grill. We like to close the lid to help keep it hot, but if you\u2019re using a charcoal grill, this might create a smoky flavor, which you may or may not want. It\u2019s up to you. Either way, let the vegetables cook, turning them once or twice, until they are nicely charred. The onions should be quite blackened on their cut sides, and the jalape\u00f1os should be charred. [A tidbit of interest: the more you cook the jalape\u00f1os, the less spicy they will be.] The tomato skins will begin to wrinkle a bit and blacken, and some of the tomatoes will split open. Carefully open the foil packet to check the garlic: does it feel soft? If not, return it to the grill until it does.<\/p>\n

When the vegetables are ready, transfer them to a large sheet pan, and cool to room temperature. Dump the tomatoes, onion, and 1 jalape\u00f1o into the bowl of a large food processor. (Ours is an 11-cup.) Remove the softened cloves from the head of garlic, and add them to the bowl. And add the juice of 2 lemons (or limes), the cilantro, and a good dose of salt. Process to a salsa consistency. Taste, and add more jalape\u00f1o, lemon juice, and salt to taste. (Most of the time, Brandon likes to use about 3 jalape\u00f1os. And depending on the flavor of the tomatoes, you might need quite a bit of lemon juice. On his most recent go, he used 3 lemons\u2019 worth in total. Likewise, this salsa requires quite a bit of salt. Don\u2019t be shy.) Taste, and tweak until it is to your liking.<\/p>\n

Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled before serving.<\/p>\n

Note<\/span>: If you have any leftover grilled jalape\u00f1os, know that they\u2019re delicious with beans. For lunch today, for example, Brandon put a bit of olive oil in a saucepan, threw in one grilled jalape\u00f1o (whole; no need to chop it), and warmed them together over medium heat. Then he added a drained can of black beans and a pinch of cumin. When the whole mess is warm, it\u2019s ready.<\/p>\n

Yield<\/span>: A lot
<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I must have pleased the weather gods, or whoever controls rain and shine. Ever since my last post, it\u2019s been lovely around here. There\u2019s been sun, sun, and more sun, a whole week of hot days and cold beers and windows wide open. We had a picnic; we went rowing; we stuck our feet in the Sound; and on Saturday, we even cleaned the basement. (This last might not sound like fun, but I\u2019ll let you in on a secret: when it\u2019s hot outside, our basement is like heaven. It\u2019s always a season cooler down there.) It\u2019s been summer. It\u2019s been the bee\u2019s knees. I didn\u2019t even mind the thunderstorm that rolled through last night. 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