Should I Cook It?
Last Minute: ❌ No
Day Ahead: ✅ Yes
Bring It to a Potluck or Seve at BBQ: ✅ Absolutely
Why It Scored → 7.6/10

Scorecard:
Crowd Appeal → 9/10
Last Minute → 2/10
Travel Friendly → 8/10
Chance of Duplicates at BBQ → 4/10
Budget → 9/10
Make Day Ahead → 10/10
OVERALL → 7.6/10
Crowd Appeal (9/10)
Fresh salsa made from ripe local tomatoes disappears fast! Whether it’s for chips, grilled chicken, tacos and burgers…almost everyone finds a way to eat it.
Make Last-Minute (2/10)
Could you? Yes. Takes about 30 minutes.
Should you? Probably not…with the chopping, simmering, blending, and giving the flavours time to blend.
Travel Friendly (8/10)
Spoon the salsa in and airtight jar, pack in a cooler-bag, and it’s easy to bring to the BBQ or summer potluck. Just remember the serving dish, serving spoon, and good quality tortilla chips.
Chance of Duplicates (4/10)
There is a low chance someone else will bring this exact salsa. But a good chance someone else brings some form of salsa.
Budget (9/10)
Plum tomatoes when in season? You can buy by a 1-quart basket for about $5…or even less.
Make Day Ahead (10/10)
You can’t share your excitement for your homemade-rustic-style-salsa made from farmer’s market tomatoes when you feel rushed. That’s why making it the day before is so rewarding.
Skip it if…
You need something in under 20 minutes.
Try These Instead (Watch on YouTube):



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Kitchen Notes : Salsa Roja with Green Chilies EP #102

✅ Portable induction cooker saved time.
✅ Tomato skins came off much easier after simmering.
❌ Blending in the pot with a stick blender covered the counter in salsa.
Would I do it again?
Absolutely.
Would I blend it in the pot again?
Not a chance.
Recipe

What I Used
Plum Tomatoes– 4
Canola Oil – 1 Tbsp.
White Onion – ½ cup chopped
Garlic – 1 clove chopped
Chopped Green Chilies – 1 can (113 ml / 3.8 oz)
Salt – ¼ tsp.
The Prep: Cut tomatoes into quarters. Keep the pieces large…it will make it easier to remove the skins during cooking.
In The Pot: Heat canola oil over medium-low heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook until onions begin to soften about 3 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and chopped green chilies. Simmer until tomatoes soften, about 10 minutes.
While Tomatoes Cook: The tomato skins will start to release from the tomato. Remove these as you cook. You don’t need to fish them all out.
The Finish: When the tomatoes have softened, remove pot from heat. Stir in salt. Transfer tomatoes to a blender. Pulse to blend for desired amount of chunky texture. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or freeze up to 1 month.
Verdict
Should I Cook It?
YES
When there’s 30 minutes and the mood is right for making a rustic salsa from scratch.
Best Time To Make?
The Day Before:
✓ Potluck
✓ BBQ
✓ Taco Night
Skip it if: You feel rushed. Sometimes reaching for the store-bought salsa is the right play.


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