Somehow, it’s already July, y’all! And of course, as soon as the new month began, we Mississippians found ourselves in the midst of an extreme heat advisory that covered most of the South and Southeast. While extreme heat may not be new to us Southerners, it’s still dangerous and something we should navigate with care.
In fact, the heat can be especially perilous down here since the humid climate cancels out our bodies’ natural cooling system – sweat. The moisture in the air keeps the moisture on our skin trapped instead of allowing it to evaporate, which can lead to dehydration, heat exhaustion and even heatstroke. In short, I hope everyone was able to stay cool through it, and I’m here to lovingly remind you to drink plenty of water and check on your neighbors as the summer continues to sizzle us.
I will say, one of the upsides of all this heat has been that my pepper plants are absolutely thriving! I’ve been picking more jalapeños and banana peppers than I know what to do with, and this past weekend at the Hitching Lot Farmers’ Market I was able to get my hands on some of the most gorgeous heirloom tomatoes I’ve seen this season from Mart and Ashley of HalleluYAH Gardens. With a pile of tomatoes and peppers on my counter, I knew what I had to do – so this week I made the iconic salsa, pico de gallo.
Whenever I am looking up recipes that originate from another country or culture, I naturally try to find a recipe developer who originates from said country or who is a part of the culture. So, when I came across Jonathan Zaragoza’s “Salsa 101” series on Instagram, I was thrilled.
Jonathan is a first-generation Mexican American who grew up on the South Side of Chicago. He specializes in Mexican American foodways, and his family’s restaurant, Birrieria Zaragoza, is Michelin Bib Gourmand-recognized and was even featured on the hit Netflix show, “The Bear,” which is back in the limelight after releasing its much-anticipated fifth season!
Pico de gallo is a great dish to make during these hot summer days because it comes together quickly, can be enjoyed immediately and can really be customized to your flavor preferences.
Like a little more heat? Add more chili peppers! Want a little more zip? Squeeze some extra lime in there!
If you don’t know where to start, Jonathan’s recipe offers an excellent blueprint with foolproof ratios, and he has a ton of other salsa recipes on his website to try out as well. I followed his recipe pretty much to a tee, aside from a few inconsequential substitutions.
I used the local heirloom tomatoes I got from our farmers market instead of the Roma tomatoes he called for, I used my homegrown jalapeños instead of serrano peppers, and I used a red onion instead of the more traditional white because I had it on hand and didn’t want to run to the store.
Maybe your own tomato and pepper plants are thriving in this heat, or maybe you’re able to pop by and support our local farmers at the farmers market, but either way, I hope you get your hands on some of our amazing local produce this season.
We may not be able to beat the heat, y’all, but the least we can do is enjoy some super fresh and delicious recipes while we’re in the thick of it!
PICO DE GALLO
(Recipe adapted from Jonathan Zaragoza)
Ingredients:
3 medium heirloom tomatoes, cored and diced small
1/2 large red onion, diced small
1/2 bunch cilantro, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 2 limes
3 small jalapeños, stemmed and minced
Kosher salt, to taste
Chiltepin chile powder (optional, for garnish)
Directions:
■ Combine all ingredients in a medium-size bowl.
■ Mix thoroughly and let the salsa marinate for about 30 minutes.
■ Taste and adjust the salt and lime juice as needed.
■ Sprinkle with chiltepin chile powder before serving if you like a little spice.
■ Enjoy with tortilla chips or as a topping.
Kristin is a Columbus local and a graduate of MUW’s Culinary Arts Program. She lives downtown with her husband Jon and her naughty cat Sokka. In her free time she enjoys baking, making stained glass art and hanging out with her friends. If you see her in town, say hi!
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 24 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
