savory sunday // fresh salsa

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03smGuys! It's August! And you know what that means? That tomatoes are at their prime! I love this time of year. Frankly? I could just slice a tomato and eat it with salt and pepper right now... but gimme some fresh mozzarella or basil or onion and spices? Man, so many options.Today I'm gonna show you how I make my fresh salsa. It's super fast and easy, and suuuuper delicious. Especially this time of year! You really can't mess it up when the tomatoes are this good.01smWhat you'll need:• 3-4 large tomatoes, diced• I throw in a few sliced cherry or grape tomatoes to add texture, but that's totally optional• 1 jalepeño -- I only use 1/4 of the  thing (no seeds!!), but I am a midwestern wimp who doesn't like stuff too spicy. This one is up to you.• Lime juice from 1/2 fresh lime• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced• 1 shallot, minced• Handful fresh cilantro, diced/chopped/minced/whatever• a dash of cumin• salt to taste02smStep one: Chop, dice, or mince up your ingredients. WARNING: Wash your hands when dealing with that jalepeño. I once got serious burns on my hands and lips from tasting out salsa and guacamole with several jalepeños, and since then I am super careful. Also, unless you like stuff screamin' hot, get rid of the seeds.Step two: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. I like to add dashes of salt as I go because it helps break down the tomatoes. For instance, dice the tomatoes, add to bowl, add salt. Mince the garlic and shallots, add to bowl, add salt. Chop the pepper, add to bowl, add some salt. You get the idea.At the end, I stir in a dash of cumin with the cilantro, and then I taste the salsa with chips. Please keep in mind that the salsa will get hotter as it sits, so if you think it's way too mild, maybe wait an hour or two and try again before adding more pepper. The only thing I usually end up adding at this point is salt.04smAnd voila! How pretty is that? And just wait until you taste it!The calories from this will never come from the salsa, it only comes from what you eat it on. The entire batch (which fills a small mixing bowl or very large cereal bowl) is 167 calories total. So if you break that down to 8 servings, it's less than 25 calories each.And you know what it pairs well with? My awesome breakfast tacos. Or my authentic Mexican tacos. Oh yeah, and that really delicious guacamole I showed you. Kids! Go plan a fiesta!For your internet share today, how about a recipe for this amazingly delicious tomato pie? Eh? Yeah. I want to stuff that in my face.