Pico de Gallo

So summer has officially hit in Louisiana. By 8:30 in the morning, I’m already sweating (or am covered in condensation…I’m not actually sure which). Come 4:30 in the afternoon and I’m contemplating the quickest way to end my misery. Since that’s also about the time I start getting ready for dinner, this means that I’m now whipping out every cool, quick, and easy recipe in my arsenal.

Now…one area where Sara and I are very different is that she actually got her degree in horticulture whereas I kill plants just by walking into the garden section of Lowe’s–it’s like they can sense my deadly presence. I’ve put off making my own pico de gallo for years because I always assumed that you had to use garden-fresh tomatoes and jalapenos. Then one day, I was craving pico like none other and was faced with this quandary: shell out $5 for some lifeless pico that’s been sitting in the produce section of the grocery store for heaven knows how long, or just suck it up and make my own. So I sucked it up, bought the greenhouse Roma tomatoes, and guess what? It was so good. So much better and so much cheaper than that store-bought garbage. The moral of the story? Garden tomatoes are awesome, but don’t let your lack of a garden (or the fact that your tomatoes aren’t ripe yet) stop you from making your own pico de gallo.

Pico de Gallo
Recipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

About 3 Roma tomatoes

1 smallish jalapeno pepper

1/2 small onion (white onions are traditional, but I love the color and flavor of red onions)

THESE MEASUREMENTS ARE APPROXIMATE:

Freshly squeezed lime juice (use 1/2 lime for a little zing, use the whole thing for distinct lime flavor. In case you were wondering, I use the whole thing)

A very generous pinch of chopped cilantro–I just grab some using all my fingers at once. It probably comes out to about 1/4 c.

Kosher salt to taste; some people leave it on the bland side because a lot of foods pico de gallo is served with tends to be salty. Personally, I like it on the salty side.

Instructions:

Cut ends off tomatoes and then slice in half lengthwise. Under running water, gently run your finger under the membrane that contains the seeds. It’s okay if some seeds get in there, but if you have all of them, it’s going to get a little sloppy. Cut into small chunks. If you look at my pictures, I actually cut my tomatoes a little bigger than I really wanted them. I’m learning to let the little things go…Place in a small serving or mixing bowl or a really large cereal-type bowl.

Finely dice the onion. No one wants giant chunks of raw onion. Well, maybe some people out there do, but I don’t know any of them personally. Toss with the tomato mixture.

Finely chop the jalapeno, removing the seeds if desired (the seeds contain the majority of the heat, although the flesh is still pretty hot). I’m a pansy and absolutely don’t ever add seeds, but some of you are way braver than me, so this is totally up to you. Toss with the tomatoes and onions.

Add the fresh-squeezed juice of 1/2 of the lime. Taste. If you want to walk on the limey side, add a little more. I like to go easy on the heat and heavy on the lime, but I’m sure there are others out there who are the opposite.

Add your giant pinch of cilantro. Combine well. Add a generous sprinkling of Kosher salt, taste, and add more if desired. This is best if it stands for a few hours before you serve it, but it also may (okay, will) get a little wet in the bottom of the bowl, so you might want to strain it before serving it. It’s great just straight up on tortilla chips

or alongside our Chili-Lime Steak Salad, Chicken Taquitos, Chipotle Taquitos, or fill some warm homemade flour tortillas with Taco Chicken, Queso Fresco (you can usually find it near the cream cheese section of the grocery store), shredded cabbage, and top with a little pico de gallo for one of my most favorite meals in the whole world…