Fire Roasted Salsa

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 450ºF and line a baking sheet with foil. Cut the stems off the tomatoes, then cut them in half. Peel the cloves of garlic and chop the onion into large chunks. Place the tomatoes, onion, garlic, poblano and jalapeño (leave the peppers whole for now) on the baking sheet and drizzle with 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Toss all of the vegetables around in the oil until they are completely coated.

Step 2

Place the vegetables in the 450ºF oven and roast for 30 minutes, stirring once half way through. The vegetables should be shriveled, blistered and slightly brown after 30 minutes (see photos below). After roasting, remove them from the oven and allow to cool.

Step 3

Place the poblano and jalapeño peppers on a cutting board. Remove the thick skin from the poblano (it should peel away easily). Slice off the stems, then slice the peppers open lengthwise. Scrape the seeds out of the peppers. The peppers should be very soft and easy to work with (see photos below).

Step 4

Transfer the peppers and everything left on the baking sheet (including juices) into a blender or food processor. If the vegetables are still warm, you can place the blender into the refrigerator until they have cooled down.

Step 5

Add the fresh cilantro leaves, juice from the lime (about 1/4 cup), salt, sugar, and cumin to the blender with the roasted vegetables. Pulse the ingredients until they are well mixed but still slightly chunky. Don’t over puree on the first round so that you can taste the mixture, adjust the seasonings, and blend again if needed.

Step 6

Serve immediately or let refrigerate over night for a more mellow flavor.