Roasted Corn-Black Bean-Tomato Salsa

Tweet On a visit home to Alabama several years ago, my brother had made this bowl of salsa (I don't remember what he called it) that consisted mainly of canned green chiles, white shoepeg corn, onions, beans, tomatoes and some other flavorings.  We ate it on salad with grilled chicken thighs and with chips.  It was really good.

Of course, I thought that it would really make it special if it was made with fresh local ingredients.   Being the farm stand addict that I am, I couldn't help myself.  The next summer, I rounded up fresh ingredients to make a go of this recipe.  The can of white shoepeg corn was replaced with fresh roasted corn off the cob, the green chilies were replaced with jalapenos or serrano chilies, the beans became black beans, sweet summer candy onions replaced yellow onions and so on.  This has become one of my favorite salsas because it is so chunky and flavorful.  I love that spicy sweet combination of the roasted corn, cherry tomatoes and the spicy peppers.  It is nutrient dense, low in calories and tasty.  That is a good combination!

 So let's get to it . . .

Tomatillo Avocado Salsa

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What's not to love about salsa?  This time of the year it is fresh, cool and spicy.  My favorite salsa is a green salsa or salsa made from tomatillos.  I really love this classic Mexican salsa made from raw tomatillas.  This salsa works well as a dip, a sauce for simple grilled chicken or fish and is especially perfect on tacos or chalupas. I really, really love it in my chanchito bowl from Chile.

Everytime I go to the grocery store in my neck of the woods, the check out person holds one of the tomatillas up and asks me "what is this?" And I do mean every time. It amazes me that the tomatillo is so unfamiliar to many.  Just in case, this is what a tomatilla looks like.

It is the tomate verde or green tomato common in Mexico and is considered a staple in the Mexican kitchen.  They make delicious tangy salsas and sauces, cooked or uncooked.