Pico de Gallo "Salsa Fresca"

Of all of the salsa recipes I have learned, this was the first one I ever learned to make. "Pico de Gallo", "Salsa Fresca Mexicana",and "La Bandera", just some of the names it goes by. As a child, when we would visit my abuela, I remember walking to the local "deposito",small neighborhood market, to pick up essentials. My abuela would always say, "Vamos a comprar la bandera"(we are going to buy the flag). As most of you know she was referring to the colors of the Mexican Flag, green, white, and red. Chile, cebolla(white onion), and tomato, those are the three main staples in a Mexican kitchen. When my parents opened up a small Mexican taqueria, i was only 14 years old. Every weekend, it was my job to go with my Dad at 5 in the morning to make pico de gallo for the days tacos....Boy, how i dreaded those mornings as a 14 year old, but now as an adult I long for those special times with my Dad.

Ingredients:

6 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 medium white or red onion, diced

2 jalapenos or 2 serrano peppers, seeded and minced

Handful of chopped cilantro

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Salt to taste (about 1 to 2 teaspoons)

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients and stir well. Let salsa sit for 30 minutes before serving. You could add add 1 or 2 cloves of minced garlic and a drizzle of olive oil for a slight variation. And for a smokey pico, add 1 chipotle in adobo!

A variation of Pico de Gallo, made with tomatillo instead of Roma tomato.

Other recipes by Sonia:

Mexican Red Rice
Buñuelos
Cheesy Chorizo Bread
Empanadas de Pollo
Pork Chile Colorado
Frijoles Borrachos con Chorizo
Pork Chile Verde
Shrimp-Stuffed Little Chiles
Lemon Pepper Chicken Fajitas
Simply Seasoned Shrimp
Dulce de Leche and Chocolate Chip Chimichangas

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