ROASTED TOMATO SALSA

Fourth of July Roasted Tomato Salsa Recipe




If you can't find a guajillo pepper, no worries - just leave it out of the recipe. The salsa will still taste delicious with just the roasted tomatoes and chipotles. You can also substitute another type of chile if you like. The reddish-brown guajillo are known for their strong, complex and earthy flavor, and medium heat. Feel free to experiment with more readily available chiles from your area until you find one you really like to play off the flavors of the chipotles and roasted tomatoes.

Two chipotles can be very spicy, consider yourself warned. Start with one, or even one-half a chipotle if you or your family are heat-sensitive, and work up from there.



2 pounds Roma tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise

1 medium white onion, cut into six wedges

1 large garlic clove, halved

a couple pinches of finely ground sea salt

2-3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium dried guajillo chile pepper, soaked in boiling water until softened, and then drained

1 -2 chipotles in adobo sauce (canned)

1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped



Heat oven to 400F degrees. Now gently tossed the tomatoes, onions, garlic, and salt with the olive oil in a large bowl. After they are nicely coated arrange in a single layer, tomatoes cut-side facing up, across a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the tomatoes start to collapse and the onions begin to caramelize a bit. Remove from the oven.

Puree the chiles (both the guajillo and chipotles) with the roasted garlic and two roasted tomato halves. Chop the remaining tomatoes by hand (once they've cooled a bit). Chop and add the onions as well. Season with salt and stir in the cilantro.