Roasted Pepper and Corn Salsa

My dad is growing some peppers this summer and asked me to do something with them. Since we also have an abundance of tomatoes (thanks to our neighbor’s garden), I settled on a salsa. The original plan was to keep it pretty standard: roasted peppers, tomatoes, garlic, and onion. When I tasted the first batch I nearly died. It was way too spicy. I cried, my mouth was on fire, and my hands were burning from touching the peppers.

I had to salvage that fiery, red liquid of death. I bulked it up with a few more tomatoes, some roasted corn, and a bell pepper. I’m actually much happier with this finished product than I think I would have been with the original recipe. It’s got a more balanced flavor and texture from the corn and bell pepper. The heat isn’t so intense. But be warned, it gets hot. Eat enough of it and you’ll probably cry. There’s no shame in crying. I promise.

If you’re worried about crying, I urge you to use jalepeno and serrano peppers. The heat will be a non-issue with them.

Roasted Pepper and Corn Salsa

Yields about 1 quart, 24 servings

1 mucho nacho (or jalepeno) pepper

1 garden salsa (or serrano) pepper

1 red bell pepper

10 medium tomatoes

6 cloves garlic

1/2 onion

1/2 cup cilantro (stems & leaves)

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp sugar

salt & pepper to taste

Broil corn and peppers, rotating every 3 minutes, until slightly charred all over. Set aside to cool.

Roughly chop tomatoes, garlic, onion, and cilantro. Peel peppers and roughly chop. Throw it all in a blender. Add cumin, sugar, salt & pepper. Pulse a few times. Cut corn off cobs. Add corn to blender. Pulse a few more times. Enjoy!