The Perfect Labor Day Recipe: Katherine’s Salsa Fresca with Watermelon

Katherine’s Spicy Salsa Fresca with Watermelon from “Diet Simple Farm to Table Recipes: 50 New Reasons to Cook in Seasons!”

Katherine’s Spicy Fresh Salsa with Watermelon
www.KatherineTallmadge.com
excerpted from “Diet Simple Farm to Table Recipes: 50 New Reasons to Cook in Season!” ($4.95)

Nothing could be a more perfect Labor Day recipe. Featuring the best fruit of the season! It contains all the flavors: sweet, savory, spicy, and salty.  I usually use vine-ripe tomatoes for my fresh salsa, excerpted from my book, Diet Simple. But watermelon is a surprising and exotically delicious substitute for all the tomatoes, or just half of them – as in this version. Serve this salsa with grilled salmon, chicken or beef… even tortilla chips… whatever you may traditionally use salsa with.

22 servings

Ingredients:

1 lb vine-ripe, fresh tomatoes, coarsely chopped (start with about 1-1/2 lbs)
1 lb chopped watermelon, seeds removed
1 large candy onion, peeled and chopped (about ½ pound)
3 – 4 jalapeno peppers (1 – 2 ounces), to taste
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
½ tsp salt, or to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 – 4 Tbsp fresh lime juice (1 – 2 limes), optional, or vinegar if you wish for the salsa to last longer in your refrigerator

Add the onion to the tomatoes and watermelon. Finely chop 2 of the jalapeno peppers to start with. Taste. If you desire more heat, add 1 – 2 more jalapenos. Mix in the cilantro. Add the salt and pepper, depending on your taste. Mix in the lime juice, if you wish.