Hypoallergenic Salsa

This might have been a prettier red if I had stuck with red peppers,
but I like poblanos.

     Commercially made salsa usually contains corn whether you can see kernels of it or not.  Most contains citric acid (corn and/or soy) and/or distilled white vinegar (corn). If you make salsa yourself, remember that grocery store tomatoes and peppers are generally coated with a layer of wax containing corn, soy or dairy products. You can peel them following the instructions under Produce in the Glossary. On the plus side, the process of charring the peppers so that the peel blisters up gives the peppers a savory, roasted flavor that is good in salsa.

     2 lb. of peppers, whatever variety you like (See Produce in the Glossary)

     4 lb. of ripe vine-ripened tomatoes (See Produce in the Glossary)

     4 cloves of garlic, sliced very thin or minced

     (optional) 2 Tb. chopped fresh cilantro leaves (See Produce in the 

          Glossary) 

     salt (See Salt in the Glossary)

     couple of  limes 

     Prepare and peel the peppers and tomatoes as described under Produce in the Glossary. Remove the seeds from the peppers. You can seed the tomatoes too, if you like; salsa is chunky, so I don't think a few tomato seeds matter. Chop the peppers and tomatoes; put them in a pot with the garlic, cilantro, 1/2 Tb. salt and 3 Tb. lime juice. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the thickness is about right. The vegetables will have become very soft and melded together, and the salsa will have cooked down to about half of its initial volume. This will take 2-3 hours or so. Adjust salt and lime juice to taste if needed.

About the right proportion of peppers to tomatoes, ready to peel.
Note that salsa is forgiving: you can vary the proportion of pepper
to tomato, replace the garlic with a finely chopped onion, use  
lemon juice instead of lime, or add parsley, and  your salsa will
 still be delicious.

All chopped up and ready to simmer