1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (wear rubber gloves) 1/4 cup olive oil Juice of 1 lemon Salt and pepper to taste Life With A Little Salsa Add zest to summer dzning with 10 toss-together sauces. ANNABEL COHEN Special to the Jewish News IV hen Latinos want to add zest to anything, food related or not, they will say "add a lit- tle salsa." This idiomatic phrase is what started the music and dance style of the same name. Yet, like many so-called ethnic foods, salsa is an American invention, a twist on a Mexican staple. Salsa is basic. Literally, salsa means "sauce" in Spanish, so potentially everything spooned over something else is a salsa. In fact, what Americans commonly term "salsa" — chopped tomatoes, onions and seasonings, is what Mexicans call pico de gallo. But north of the bor- der, it's all salsa, whether the ingre- dients are simple or more exotic, including all types of fruit, vegeta- bles and any variety of additions or modifications. Walk down the aisle at any high- end food emporium and you'll find dozens of variations of the original salsa, each with seemingly quirkier ingredients than the next. Among the more crowd-pleasing are those containing beans, corn and plenty of heat. What many of the jarred varieties lack is the fresh, distinct flavor of cilantro and freshness of just-squeezed citrus. The following recipes include no instruction or direction, because the beauty of salsa is its simplicity — if not in ingredients, then in prepara- tion. While some of the recipes may call for the occasional sauteed ingre- dients, such as corn or onions, but after minimal cooking, just toss and serve. For more unique combina- tions, add your own favorite ingre- dients or seasonings. You'll notice that most recipes include tomatoes. Use any tomato variety you wish, as long as the tomatoes are ripe and flavorful. Hot summer nights call for hot and zesty salsa. It's the most popular condiment in the nation and the most prevalent starter. Try it with crunchy triangle chips, gourmet crackers and as an accompaniment to everything from burgers to grilled fish to scrambled eggs. So add some salsa to your life — in every aspect. Serve up the salsa like many Americans serve ketchup ... on everything. Cook's note: While you can chop ingredients by hand, using a food processor will cut down the prepara- tion time considerably. Don't chop everything together, though. The texture and color of your salsa will be cloudy. Rather, pulse each ingre- dient in the food processor separate- ly and add it to a large bowl with your other ingredients before mix- ing by hand. Certain foods, such as avocado and scallions, must be chopped by hand. APPLE, BLUEBERRY AND CRANBERRY SALSA 1 cup chopped tomatoes 1/4 cup dried blueberries 1/4 cup dried cranberries 1 cup finely chopped, unpeeled tart apples (any variety) 1/2 cup chopped red or Bermuda onion 1/2 cup chopped red or yellow bell peppers 1/2 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts Juice of 1 lemon or more to taste 1 T. hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco 1 T. dried parsley flakes Salt and pepper to taste AVOCADO SALSA 3 cups fresh chopped tomato 1 cup chopped seeded cucumber 1 cup chopped red or Bermuda onion 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro 2-3 T. hot red pepper sauce, such as Tabasco Juice of 2 limes, or more to taste 2 T. olive oil Kosher salt and pepper to taste 2 avocados, any kind, chopped (cut and add just before serving) GREEN SALSA 1 cup chopped raw tomatillos 1 cup chopped green pepper 1 'cup chopped green tomatoes 1 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil TOASTED CORN AND BLACK BEAN SALSA 2 cups frozen corn, thawed and sauteed in 2 T. olive oil until lightly browned 1 can (about 15 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice 1 cup chopped red or Bermuda onions 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 can (about 15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro 2 T. red wine vinegar 2 T. vegetable oil Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste 1/2 t. ground cayenne pepper, or to taste Salt and pepper to taste INSTANT SPICY TOMATO SALSA 1 can (about 15 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice 1 can (about 4 ounces) tomato sauce 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 cup frozen corn, thawed 1 t. granulated garlic 2 T. dried parsley flakes 2 T. vegetable oil 2 T. hot pepper sauce, any kind, or to taste 2 T. red wine vinegar or more to taste Kosher salt and pepper to taste OLIVE AND FETA SALSA 1/2 cup chopped olives, Kalamata or other good-quality variety 2 cups chopped tomatoes 1/2 cup chopped mild onion, such as Vidalia 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley Juice of 1 lemon Grated peel of 1 lemon 2 T. extra virgin olive oil 1 t. dried oregano 1/2 t. ground cumin Kosher salt and pepper to taste FIVE FRUIT SALSA 1/2 cup chopped fresh pineapple 1/2 cup chopped fresh mango 1/2 cup fresh chopped papaya 1 cup drained mandarin oranges, chopped 1 cup fresh chopped tomato 1 cup chopped red onion ek\ 7/12 2002 93