Delicious beside grilled meats and fish or served as a dip, this light summer salsa is sweet and spicy featuring the season’s produce.
By Rinku Bhattacharya
There is that time of the year when all the cherry blossoms on our little tree turn into fruit. This year, I perfected a JalapeƱo and Cherry salsa, that we have all been enjoying. It pairs well with almost everything but in particular works well with fish.
I put together another batch of this salsa this weekend to pair with some grilled fish. My summer table is layered and dotted with condiments, chutneys, pestos, raitas and salsas. They work magic with summer grilling and lighter fare. This salsa is unique from my typical salsa in that I actually cook the cherries until they soften just a little. Adding the dried cherries or cranberries in this recipe adds some nice contrast of flavors and texture but is a totally optional thing. So, without much fuss here is my cherry and jalapeƱo salsa recipe.
PrintJalapeƱo and Cherry Salsa
Delicious beside grilled meats and fish or served as a dip, this light summer salsa is sweet and spicy featuring the season’s produce.
- Category: Side, Dip
Ingredients
- 11/4 pounds of sour or Ranier cherries (all varieties except the sweet bing cherries work in this recipe)
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon coarsely powdered fresh cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
- 1 tablespoon dried cherries or cranberries (optional, but adds a nice texture)
- 1 medium to large jalapeƱo
- 1 medium sized red onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Wash and pit the cherries and set them aside.
- Heat the oil and add in the ginger and sautƩ for about 45 seconds, until the ginger begins to sweat. Add in the powdered cumin and mix well.
- Stir in the cherries, salt and sugar and cook for 3 minutes until the flavors are mixed well and the cherries soften slightly.
- Place the salsa in a mixing bowl and add in the lime juice and the dried cherries or cranberries if using.
- Seed the jalapeƱo and cut into small pieces and mix in.
- Finely chop the red onion and mix in with the cilantro.
- Serve immediately or chill for up to 2 hours until ready to use.
