Homemade Salsa Anyone?

To deal with the abundance produced by our gardens and fruit trees, my husband set up a simple and inexpensive outdoor kitchen. Consisting of a salvaged 10-foot long, one piece stainless steel counter with double sinks and a multipurpose cooker he made from an old propane tank, this outdoor kitchen allows us to efficiently process large quantities of fresh fruits or vegetables.

On this particular day, we were fire roasting tomatoes and peppers for salsa so the cooker had heavy screen placed over the flames. We also have an 18-inch cast iron skillet that fits perfectly into the opening that we use when cooking quantities of sausage and onions for large batches of spaghetti sauce. The cast iron skillet also doubles as a burner if we want to use a large pot to cook down applesauce. The top half of the propane tank can be place upside down over the fire to quickly boil large quantities of water for blanching. The door in the front of the cooker opens so that wood can be added to the fire and under the foil is an electric blower to provide focused airflow when more heat is needed.

The double sink provides ample space to wash and store produce. These peppers are ready to be fire roasted once the tomatoes are done. As this location is temporary, a garden hose supplies running water to the sink.

To make the salsa, gallons of fire roasted tomatoes and peppers are cored and chopped. Several large, finely chopped onions, fresh garlic and cilantro, and various dried herbs and spices provide additional flavor. After allowing the flavors to mingle, we freeze the salsa in quart sized ziptop bags. Once thawed, the salsa is perfect as is on chips or tacos and also makes a wonderful base for spaghetti sauce or a delicious addition to various soups.