Things sure have been getting spicy around here lately! The Test Kitchen has been heating up… and not just because of the temps outside. We’ve been prepping and testing some delicious salsa recipes that you members have been posting, and I think it’s safe to say that you guys are on fire! (And thanks to you, we are now too.)
Recipe Club member Philip Hoel of Moline, IL got us talking with his recipe for Spicy Watermelon Salsa. “Really?!” you say. “For real,” says me! This is a surprisingly super-scrumptious salsa that could easily be served alongside any number of dishes. The Kitchen Crew and I served it over chicken and it was stellar. This is just the kind of creativity that should be savored.
“With summer coming on we’re always looking for a great way to use the fruits of the season; and watermelon is the quintessential fruit of summer,” explains Philip (a.k.a Top_Chef_Phil). “I actually got the idea for this recipe from watching Top Chef, on Bravo TV. In a couple of seasons, some of the ‘cheftestants’ made dishes combining watermelon and heirloom tomatoes. This got me to thinking, if watermelon and tomato could work together-why not replace tomato with watermelon in my standard salsa recipe? It worked!”
Boy, did it ever! Philip’s recipe shook up my taste buds and sent me hunting for more of your salsa favorites.
Floridian Janice Kasper is quickly becoming known to us as the “Salsa Queen”. In addition to her Blue Ribbon 3 Amigos Salsa that I’ve mentioned in the past, we were recently wowed again by her Mango Pineapple Salsa. The recipe is heavy on onion and spice, but the kick is tempered by the velvety sweetness of the mango. Janice recommends serving it with any baked fish, but like Philip’s recipe, we loved it on its own with chips as well.
The serving options are endless, and so to are the yummy salsa recipes y’all are whipping up! Don’t stop; salsa is quickly becoming one of my go-to dishes for parties and for those rare lazy nights at home. Keep on heating up those kitchens!