Today: Lazy summer salsa to go with your lazy vegetarian chili.

We’re moving in less than a week, so I am basically coming to you live from inside one of the many packing boxes currently overwhelming our condo.  We have very little left to pack, just the linens on our bed, the six towels I used to dry my hair this morning, and a few cabinets full of food.  Tonight’s m.o.: If I eat it, I don’t have to pack it.  (Tomorrow’s m.o.: Please grow a brain.)  

As you know, Lazy vegetarian chili is one of my favorite meals to make.  It’s hearty, but not heavy, and unlike other hot dishes, it doesn’t require having the stove top on for fourteen hours.  I almost always have all the ingredients on hand, it doesn’t take much effort, and the leftovers make a tasty lunch.  If you’re not sold now, you’ll never be.  And that’s okay.

If it seems sort of wrong to cook from a can when fresh summer produce (I am speaking specifically about tomatoes, which I eat like apples this time of year) is so readily available, I’ve got you covered.  But first I need to find the box that contains my little food processor.

While we don’t have garden space of our own in the city, we’re lucky enough to take advantage of the fact that my dad is the tomato whisperer.  Every time I visit  my parents, I find myself returning to the city with a bag full of red, yellow, green, and striped tomatoes from their garden.  They are so good with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, but also make for a lovely, lazy salsa — the perfect compliment for a bowl of lazy vegetarian chili.

Lazy summer salsa

Ingredients:

• 3-4 large tomatoes (the uglier, the better), roughly chopped
• 1/2 large red onion, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 cups of cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeded
• Juice from half a lime
• Olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Add tomatoes to the bowl of your food processor or blender and pulse until nearly smooth.
2. Add red onion, garlic, cilantro and jalapeno and blend until you achieve the desired consistency (I like it real smooth).
3. Move salsa to a bowl or jar and top with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, a touch of olive oil, and salt and pepper – if desired.
4. Eat with a spoon.  Or, like… a tortilla chip.

You could add cucumbers to make it more gazpacho-esque, or add beans to beef amp it up a bit and serve as a soup.  If it feels good, do it.

Also On Tap for Today:

• Happy (belated) Birthday, Zach!
• Bookmarking this for our new place: 3 Tips from Sunset Magazine for creating an instant outdoor hangout spot
• Soaking up this summer weather

If you could successfully grow anything, what would it be?