charred tomato table salsa

our good friends d and r came over for sunday lunch last weekend. i was tempted to make crepes but given that they weren't going to land up till around 1pm, i decided that something spicier would hit the spot. d lived in san francisco for years before moving to london. somehow i had a feeling that he might be missing mexican/southwestern food. so i whipped up some homemade roasted tomato salsa, a wild mushroom fritata, drunken beans and a brown rice casserole.

salsa is so simple to make yet most restaurants get it oh so wrong and the store bought varities just don't cut it. he's a great recipe from "salsa" by reed heron that will ensure that you never have to enjoy anything but the real thing.

2 large tomatoes pan roasted until blistered, black, and soft
3 jalapeno chiles charred until blistered and black
1 small white onion thickly sliced and pan-roasted until dark brown and soft
2 cloves garlic pan-roasted until brown and soft, then peeled
1/4 teaspoon dried mexican oregano toasted
1/4 teaspoon cumin seed toasted and then ground
1/2 cup water
salt to taste

chop together with a knfe or food processor tomatoes, chiles with seeds, onion, and garlic until you have a coarsely textured salsa. add oregano and cumin, thin with the water, and salt to taste. makes about 2 1/2 cups.

enjoy with lots of tortilla chips or with a variety of grilled foods.

ps - it's really difficult to get jalapenos at your average grocery store in london so i just used thai green chillies and they worked just as well and perhaps even gave the salsa a bit more bite!