A sizzling salsa competition
Regina Murphy
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Yes, Virginia, it is a hot one! But the heat is what brings on all the ingredients you need for a great salsa.
What a great spread we had this year at the Salsa Cook-Off. Even though it’s awfully toasty we have a lot of fun at this one! I really want to thank my helpers: Cheryl Patton and Susan Kelley from The Learning Connection, Jay Wilson from the Emporia Gazette and Andy Houchins, my sweetie!
Who won? Why, Julie Engle (No. 2) won the Professional category and co-chefs Sasha Sosa and Lindsey Smith (No. 8) won the Amateur group. By Amateur, I mean no disrespect, because those are some mighty good salsas. That’s just the category for people who don’t make a living by selling their salsa.
The Engles actually sell their wares at the Farmer’s Market, so I encourage you to stop by and try their salsas, as well as pickles, tomatoes and all kinds of good things. Ed Engle had one in the competition and it came in second! Since they were both in Sturgis at the time, I don’t have a picture or a recipe for you. It’s probably a professional secret anyway. Congratulations to you both!
I do, however, have a recipe for the lovely pico de gallo that Lindsay and Sasha brought. They made it fresh from things picked in the garden that very day. It was colorful, crunchy and popping with flavor.
Lindsay said they even had some orange tomatoes to throw in there and Sasha remarked on how there is a real difference between flavors that are raw and fresh and those that are broken down by cooking. Congratulations to both of you!
SMITH & SOSA
PICO DE GALLO
10 Roma tomatoes
1 small onion
1 green pepper
3–4 jalapenos
half a bunch of cilantro, to taste
juice of 2 limes (to taste)
1/2 tsp. salt (to taste)
Lindsay said they key is to dice everything, but not so you end up with mush. Texture is important in this crisp pico de gallo. The measurements are all flexible depending on what you have that’s fresh and how much you want to make.
Toss all the vegetables together, throwing in anything extra you might want to use, like banana peppers, carrots or cucumbers. Add the cilantro, lime juice and salt a bit at a time, tasting as you go so you can adjust the salsa to your needs. If you want more heat, don’t seed the jalapenos or include a hotter pepper. Best when chilled.
Our other contestants were Judy Conway (No. 9), who came in a close second with her mild, tomatoey salsa and Tracey Graham (No. 2), whose “anything but mild” smoked chipotle salsa was fabulous but a bit hot for some! Elizabeth McCoy (No. 7) had another salsa with a kick to it — her secret was jalapenos.
Mary Beth Gumford (No. 1) brought a pint of a nice, sweet salsa and Janet Way (No. 6) had one that was very flavorful and garlicky. Vicky Braddy brought two: a tangy “Vintage ’07” (No. 3) and a sweet “Braddy’s Butt-Bustin” Salsa (No. 4). The final contestant was Connie Areheart (No. 5) and she had a robust, rich offering. She also brought a recipe to share.
CONNIE’S SALSA
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (10 oz.) can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with green chiles
1/2 tsp, sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
4 dashes of green Tabasco
Layer in a blender in the order listed, blend to desired consistency and enjoy.
Thanks to everyone who entered! You all did great. If anyone sees “The King” tell him I missed his salsa this year!
Recipes are a little hard to come by, since secrets must be kept, so I dug up a few interesting ones for you try before summer gets away from us. Hope you like them!
This one’s not for the kids! But it’s very, very good. Next time I have “the girls” over I think we’ll indulge a little. Of course, you can leave the tequila out -- maybe substitute some orange juice instead?
MARGARITA SALSA
1 cup tomatoes, diced
1 cup white onion, medium diced
5 green chiles, minced
1 cup gently packed cilantro, roughly chop
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup very good tequila
Since I don’t know much about tequilas I called Keith King, owner of King Liquor, the best in the Flint Hills two years running! He explained the different kinds to me. There’s anejo, which is top of the line sipping tequila; reposado is the mid-line grade and it’s usually aged in an oak barrel, which departs a gold color; and blancos, which tend to be lower-end since they’re not aged very long, although Keith said there are some very good blancos out there.
Keith suggested “El Jimador” (the “Jimador” is the person who lives in the field and harvests each blue agave plant as it becomes ripe — a 10-year process.) It’s a good reposado.
To make this salsa, combine all ingredients in a bowl and it’s ready to serve. Control the heat by seeding the chiles first if you want. There you go!
The last Cook-Off of the summer will be held Sept. 8 at the Learning Connection/Emporia’s Farmer’s Market. Instead of a dish, we’re doing an INGREDIENT: Pumpkin! Anything made with pumpkin can be entered, whether it’s a pudding, a cookie or a casserole. We’ll have a few more details closer to the event.
Next week’s column is for consenting adults only, so “Katie, bar the door!”
For the following week your challenge is in keeping with the hot season. How do you cook with those spicy chile peppers? From Thai Dragon to Scotch Bonnet, Habanero to Jalapeno, what’s your favorite chile pepper recipe? Bring on the Scoville units.
I can’t wait to see what you’ve got! Send it all in to Murphy’s Menu, The Emporia Gazette, P.O. Drawer C, Emporia KS 66801 or e-mail to murphysmenu@yahoo.com. The deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday. Let’s get cooking!