Michelle’s famous salsa

A few months after my husband and I were married, he graduated from college and got his first “real job” working for a large missile company in Tucson, Arizona.

So we packed up our meager, newlywed belongings and left our beautiful Cache Valley, Utah and drove to the desert.  We left Logan on a frigid morning in June where we could see our breath because it was so cold.

Toward the end of a very long drive, we stopped in Phoenix to grab a bite to eat and stretch our legs.  The heat was so intense that our shoes felt like they were melting to the pavement!

Talk about two extremes in temperature.

Despite the heat, we loved our time in Tucson where we lived for over 5 years.  It was where we met many wonderful friends, bought our first house, and where our daughter was born.  We will forever be grateful for the time we spent in the Sonoran desert.

One of our good friends had a salsa recipe that she was well-known for, to say the least.  People would rave about “Michelle’s famous salsa.”  They would beg her to make it and would be so grateful when she shared jars of it as gifts.

Incidentally, she grew a lot of the ingredients in her own back yard.  Atta girl!

One time, I asked her if she would teach me how to make it.

So I bought all of the ingredients and brought them to her house and she walked me through the process.  She makes hers in a food processor but I have never owned one of those machines so I have always used a regular blender.  This works great too.

And while I can’t have you all come to my kitchen to have me show you how to make it (as much fun as that would be), I CAN share the delicious recipe with you.

Make it.  You’ll be glad you did.

Michelle’s famous salsa
1 Large can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 small can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes or 2 fresh tomatoes.
2 fresh aneheim peppers
1 small fresh jalapeño (or large if you like it hot)
2 cloves garlic
Black pepper to taste (about 1 teaspoon)
Chili powder to taste (about 1 Tablespoon)
Cumin to taste (about 1 Tablespoon)
Salt to taste (about 1-2 Tablespoons)
Sugar to taste (a little goes a long way – about 2 teaspoons)
Fresh cilantro to taste (a large handful)
Onion to taste – green onions (use 2-3 green onions) are best but you can also use white or yellow

Add the crushed tomatoes, chilies, jalapeños, garlic, pepper, chili powder, cumin, salt, sugar in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Mix until smooth. Add cilantro, onion and diced tomatoes. Blend only slightly so the salsa stays chunky. All ingredient amounts can be adjusted according to individual taste and desire.  The flavor will be even better if it is refrigerated overnight.

In case you are interested, here are three other salsa recipes to try: Salsa Verde, Pico de gallo, and Annie’s salsa (for canning).

Enjoy!