Recipe: Summer Solstice Salsa
How I Decide What to Grow Each Season
Each season, I decide what to grow by asking myself three simple questions:
Question 1: What do I want to eat?
My answer was simple: I knew I wanted to eat many, many tomato sandwiches and plenty of tortilla chips dipped in delicious homemade salsa.
Because of this, I chose the Purple Cherokee and Green Zebra varieties. Their flavors are both unique and complex. Purple Cherokee tomatoes are juicy, meaty, and delightfully sweet, while Green Zebra tomatoes are tangy with a bright, refreshing bite.
Question 2: What do I want to experiment with?
I wanted to make both green and red salsa, but I had never grown Green Zebra tomatoes in Texas before. I wasn't sure how well this particular variety would perform in our climate, but I was feeling adventurous, so I decided to give them a try.
Question 3: What seeds do I have access to?
The Purple Cherokee seeds came from our sweet Julia, who saved them from her harvest last summer. The Green Zebra seeds were purchased from Johnny's Selected Seeds a few years ago, but I never had the courage to grow them until this summer.
Although tomatoes are a summer crop, they take quite a while to germinate and grow large enough to transplant into the garden. In January, I start my tomato seeds indoors in the spare room closet under a grow light. Every day, I care for them with grace, gratitude, and tenderness. Plant babies are needy—just like us humans. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
For about eight weeks, these little babes stay indoors until they're strong enough to be planted outside. Here is a great article on tips and tricks for the first 8 weeks of a tomato plant’s life. Read it. It’s worth your time.
Once the babes are in the ground, I continue caring for them generously, knowing they'll eventually reward me with an abundance of fruit. Because both Purple Cherokee and Green Zebra are indeterminate tomato varieties, I prune and trellis them every few days to encourage healthy growth, improve airflow, and maximize production. Learn how to prune and trellis indeterminate tomato plants here.
When it's finally time to harvest, Purple Cherokee tomatoes transform from green to a rich, deep red, while Green Zebra tomatoes change from green to a beautiful yellowish-green with darker green stripes.
I like to harvest my tomatoes just before they're fully ripe. This helps reduce pest damage and minimizes the chances of the fruit splitting on the vine.
Once they're harvested, it's time for the best part—eating them!
Below is my simple recipe for a fresh, flavorful red or green tomato salsa that only requires a handful of quality ingredients.
Fresh Red or Green Tomato Salsa
Ingredients
4–5 red or green tomatoes
½ yellow onion
3–4 garlic cloves
2 jalapeños (remove the seeds for a milder salsa)
1–2 handfuls of fresh cilantro
Juice of 2 limes
Salt, to taste
Instructions
Chop the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and jalapeños.
My tip: I love a chunky salsa, so I don't finely dice the tomatoes—I leave them in larger pieces.Add everything to a blender along with one or two handfuls of cilantro. If cilantro isn't your thing, feel free to leave it out.
Pulse until you reach your desired consistency.
My tip: The longer you blend, the thinner and juicier your salsa will become.Add salt to taste, give everything one final stir, and serve.
Fresh, simple, and made with tomatoes you grew yourself—there's not much better than that.
Yours truly,
-Liz
