SALSA RANCHERA by Cindy Hardin

Adapted from a recipe by Diana Kennedy

Salsa has surpassed ketchup as the number one condiment in the United States, and with good reason: it’s fresh and more complex in flavor than the old American standby. Alas, many salsas are packaged in plastic, and contain stabilizers that increase their shelf life but impinge on their flavor. By making your own with fresh tomatoes from the Farmers Market, and you are reducing your carbon footprint and creating a flavorful staple with multiple uses.

What follows is a recipe from The Cuisines of Mexico, by Diana Kennedy. Ms. Kennedy has been called the Julia Child of Mexican food. Like Ms. Child, her spouse worked for the State Department, but the couple was posted in Mexico. She has been promoting Mexican regional cuisine for decades, and has been decorated with the Order of the Aztec Eagle, the highest honor of its kind bestowed on foreigners by the Mexican government. Well into her 90’s, Ms. Kennedy still lives in the highlands of Mexico, where she maintains an organic farm and is still cooking!

Salsa Ranchera is a versatile sauce, and can be used on tacos, tostadas, mixed with rice, etc. But its most iconic use is probably as a component of Huevos Rancheros. This simple yet elegant dish is a breakfast staple in Mexico. One warmed tortilla, two fried eggs covered with the salsa and a little avocado garnish makes for a festive and nutritious way to start the morning.

You will need:

A blender

4 medium size tomatoes- about a pound and a half

1 or 2 chiles serrano, roasted over an open flame until the skin blackens and is easy to peel off

1 large garlic clove, peeled

½ cup fine chopped onion

2 Tbsp of sunflower or canola oil, divided

¼ teaspoon of salt

Core the tomatoes and place in a foil lined pan. Broil until the skin starts to blacken, and then flip them over to blacken the other side of the tomato.

Blend the tomatoes, peeled chiles (stems cut off but left whole) and garlic in the blender.

Heat 1 Tbsp of the oil and sauté the onion until softened, but not browned. Tilt the pan so the onions slide to the far side, and add the other Tbsp of oil to the side of the pan closest to the burner so it heats up a bit. Slowly pour the blended sauce into the heated oil-it might splatter a bit. Return the pan to a level position, and simmer sauce on low for about 15-20 minutes. Pour into a glass jar. It will keep up to 8 days in the refrigerator and freezes well.