We’ve been doing some collaborative cooking in our home lately.
Last week our youngest made this dish ~ a fairly detailed and somewhat laborious recipe for a young cook and I was happy to partake in both the result and the journey. He managed it with quiet confidence and persistence working through each of the steps and even made a second trip back to the store on his bike when he realized we didn’t have sour cream (I suggested Greek yogurt but was overruled – he made the right call). I have to admit I enjoyed the mom break ~ so nice to have someone else prepping food for a change but more than that, it was one of those satisfying moments when you see your child’s culinary prowess expand beyond spreading peanut butter (although we all know peanut butter sandwiches are tough to beat).
Our fourteen-year-old wasn’t the only one donning a chef’s hat last week though. My husband, who is one of the most hands-on people I know (fixer, builder, forest tamer) rarely shows his talent in the kitchen (he’s an outdoorsy kind of guy) but when we recently returned home from holidays to a bazillion (maybe more) ripe tomatoes waiting for us in our garden, we decided on the spot that a salsa making party for two would ensue.
So with music playing and cervezas flowing, we went about cutting, chopping, squeezing and mixing with great gusto and had the best time. I had forgotten how much fun it is to cook together! And the result was delicious.
(yes, those are squash growing beside our tomatoes – squee!)
Chunky, satisfying and packed with a range of lip-smacking flavors, this is a delicious and hearty salsa that harmonizes beautifully with a range of proteins. While you can certainly serve it as a traditional dip, our preference was to enjoy it heaped into our tacos (so good!). A perfect complement to our gently spiced al dente beans. Leaving the veggies in whole form (chopped vs pulverized in a blender) makes this salsa work particularly well as a taco filling. I served the tacos with a generous bowl of guacamole, a side of garden fresh green beans and some fluffy quinoa.
Corn tortilla shells (gluten free) have a different texture and taste than wheat tortillas and they also grill differently (they take longer to char) but with a little persistence, you can get them to crisp up nicely. I often grill tortillas right on our gas cooktop in the kitchen – keeping a careful eye and using tongs to flip. It works like a charm.
Alternatively, you can heat the shells in the oven covered in foil (as they appear in the main photo – warm/steamed but not charred/crisp).
I decided to give this salsa a bit of a Mediterranean twist adding green olive, lemon and fresh parsley but you can play around with ingredient choices that work best for you. Similarly, you can substitute any desired protein in place of the beans ~ we have made this recipe a few times now and switched up the protein each time. The grill is wonderful this time of year so take full advantage.
Experiment, have fun and consider making this recipe with others – it’s a ton of fun!
As always, be sure to read the Notes in the recipe card below for helpful information and best results.
- For the Tacos:
- 12 small (5" x 5") soft corn tortillas
- 4 cups cooked black beans
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp ground garlic powder
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- For the Salsa:
- 2 lbs (about 6 large tomatoes), seeded and cut into ¼" or so pieces
- 1 or 2 jalapeno peppers depending on heat tolerance (seeded for less heat), finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed, salted and finely chopped
- ½ field cucumber (skin on), chopped (about ½ cup)
- ¼ red onion, chopped (about ⅓ cup)
- 8 large Italian gourmet green olives in oil, finely chopped (about ¼ cup)
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Place cooked and cooled black beans in a mixing bowl. Spritz with a touch of olive oil and season with cumin, paprika, garlic and coriander. Hand mix or gently mix with spoon taking care not to mash the beans.
- In a large bowl, combine jalapenos, garlic, onion, cucumber and olives. The olives should be oiled. If they are on the dry side, add a touch of olive oil to the mixture.
- Add the tomatoes and lemon juice to the bowl and carefully mix to combine.
- Fold in the fresh cilantro and parsley.
- Allow the flavors to permeate in the fridge for 30 minutes or so. Remove from fridge, taste and make any flavor adjustments desired.
- Place in a serving bowl and enjoy with tacos or as desired. Store any remaining salsa in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
1) Home prep allows you to soak your beans before cooking which can ease common digestive distress associated with eating beans ~ simply soak beans overnight in a pot of covered water and then drain and rinse the next day. You can also use a quick soaking method which is to boil the beans in water for 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover and let stand for an hour.
2) Home cooked beans have a superior taste and texture. Canned beans tend to be overcooked and mushy - preparing your own beans allows you to cook them just to the point of being al dente so they retain their spring and resilience.
3) Most canned beans continue to be made with Bisphenol A (BPA). BPA is a known toxin that is used in the lining of many food and beverage cans. Studies have shown that this industrial plastic is absorbed by canned foods and when ingested can give rise to significant spikes in urinary levels of BPA.
Why Seed the Tomatoes: don't be tempted to leave the seeds in the tomatoes when prepping this salsa. The seeds contain most of the water and if included, you will end up with salsa soup :)
How to Seed the Tomatoes: my preference is to simply cut the tomato in half and then quarters and use a spoon to scoop out the seed sac in each segment - if you squeeze the tomato to extract the seeds, you will bruise the skin of the tomato which stars in the salsa.
Jalapenos: Jalapenos vary in heat. The ones I used in this recipe are from our garden and very hot. We started with two but quickly realized one was ample. You can always add more if you feel it is too mild but removing the heat is difficult. You can also experiment with other peppers (serrano, poblano, aleppo) as desired or skip the heat element all together.
Olives: I love Kalamata olives but they are so robust in flavor, I chose not to use them here because I didn't want them dominating the other more subtle and delicious flavors going in the salsa. Green olives are better team players that way ;-).
thank you for sharing your salsa..Your step by step discuss is great.
Oh my word, how did I miss this one! Probably when I was away. Look at all those tomatoes, what a perfect way to use them all up. Your garden looks better then mine btw :) How nice having some help in the kitchen, any help that I get these days normally results in a bigger mess to clean up LOL. Still it is wonderful to watch the boys “growing-up” and becoming more independent. Just a few more days until the start of Kindergarten!!! Yikes!
What gorgeous, gorgeous tacos! And so jealous that you have a little garden! I only have little herb plants in my kitchen apartment window ! :)
What a lovely salsa! And so light! Though to be frank I have problems to concentrate on your dish and cannot take my eyes off your tomatoes and squashes… it looks like a paradise! How do you manage to have such wonderful crops??? Anyway, I’m sure you will think of many exciting ways to use up you tomatoes (I wish I had such a “problem” now ;-) ). Your comment about tomatoes has made me leaf through the tomato recipe book I told you about and now I’m planning to go to my organic shop, take a big case of ripe tomatoes and make tons of dishes and preserves.
Haha, I know… those tomatoes have us enchanted too Sissi :o) it really brightens our days to walk through our little garden boxes and see what surprises await us. I’m not sure we are doing anything all that skilled in the garden, I think we owe it to the wonderful climate. I will say though that I’m amazed to see how well things grow without water… it has not rained in months and we try and be very careful about watering during the ongoing drought.
The salsa and tacos look delightful and refreshing. I’m going to need that after our travels for sure! I love that the boys are growing up into chefs! You’ve done well mom. :) I have hints of that phenomenon here and there – especially Mr. N. It’s an amazing feeling. And your salsa date sounds like so much fun! We haven’t cooked as a couple in a while either. I think we’ll need to fix that ASAP! Great idea. And look at that garden Kelly! What a bounty!! xx
Happy trails Kristy! So much fun and adventure you and the family are having…take full advantage – I look forward to reading more about it.
I can just imagine how much fun your salsa making afternoon was! Your tomatoes look amazing. I too prefer to cook my beans from dried beans, less salt. I wasn’t aware of the BPA, I thought it was banned!
Hi Eva, most cans continue to be made with BPA lining. You can get BPA free cans but they are few and far between (you can check to see which local food manufacturers offer them in your area) the most popular BPA brand here is Eden’s.
I can only imagine how wonderful this must have tasted with “real” tomatoes from your garden.. and two chefs in the kitchen? Lucky girl!!
Hello Barb – Yes, tomatoes from the garden… rather new to us :) and we are loving it! thank you for stopping by; lovely to see you.
Love this! We always see tacos loaded with cheese and sour cream, this is such a fresh and delicious alternative and I have no doubt it’s full of flavor too.
thank you for dropping by Bea ~ I hope you enjoy this recipe if you give it a try.
Your tacos, garden and that pablano corn pudding! Oh my! Your son chose a good one and I agree, one must have sour cream. What a fabulous combination of recipes for the table. Parties in the kitchen are the beeest and with so much inspiration, no wonder everyone wanted in on the action! Mouthwatering tacos and such an interesting mix of ingredients in the salsa… green olives and cucumber sound lovely! It’s a rare event, too, that Rob is in the kitchen, but when he is, I certainly enjoy it. Looking forward to seeing what you whip up with your gorgeous sqush! xx
I agree Traci, the best parties always happen in the kitchen! :) Olives are a long time love of mine… they pair beautifully with lemon and grassy, vibrant parsley in this simple salsa. The poblano corn pudding was enjoyed greatly (especially the effort behind it) – cheers.
That is so sweet that your son cooked a meal (and a great-looking one, at that!). He must have been inspired by all of the cooking he sees you do! And a salsa-making party sounds like so much fun. My husband and I are going to attempt to make homemade kombucha tonight, so I’ll be calling it a kombucha-making party from here on out :) And I have to comment on the size of that squash! Oh my! I’d say you definitely have achieved green thumb status this year, Kelly!
This salsa looks so wonderful and fresh. It celebrates summer in the best way possible! I love how you’ve kept things simple with your tacos, too. When I’m making tacos at home, I often go for simplicity as well. This way your salsa truly shines!
Hi Julia, how did the kombucha party go? :) yeah, not so sure about the green thumb as much as really hard to miss in a subtropical climate, heeheeh, but I’ll thank you for the compliment. I do like to keep it simple and focus on the stuff that we love… like you, tomatoes are a big passion and when they’re dressed up a little with fresh ingredients, I find them irresistible!
Sour cream is definitely worth the extra effort :) I just love how you’ve styled these photos – the lighting and mood are gorgeous. And your garden… those tomatoes (and squash!) I would be squealing too. I’ve never had corn tortillas and I’m so curious about the taste. You’re right, our first reflex is to eat salsa with chips (also good) but this sounds even better. That first photo really captures all the goodness in each bite.
thank you Madelaine! we’re pretty excited about our first harvest :) this plate is my kind of eating… I have always had a thing for tomatoes and the juicy/tangy factor – lemon, olives, fresh parsley – ah… it just rings all my bells.
Oy, I can’t WAIT until my kids are in the kitchen cooking me dinner. And lunch. And breakfast. Lucky you!
This salsa looks beautiful, and I am envious of all that bounty in your garden…what a treat!
Do you make your own tortillas? I’d like to make my own corn tortillas but I’ve been struggling to find organic masa. We don’t get great ones around these parts, unfortunately. Not a surprise I guess :-).
one of my blogging buddies posted a yummy looking tortilla recipe a while back (wheat based though I believe) and I have not yet tinkered with it (on that rather long list… you know? ;-) don’t tell anyone but it’s my secret fantasy to have a private cook (even for an hour!!) the thought literally makes me dizzy with excitement :p
Ahhh look at your tomatoes and squash! Woohooooo! This salsa looks perfect!! I am a big fan of corn tortillas instead of wheat ones, too. My friends and I come together every couple months to have a taco night. I know what I am bringing to the next one!
we are pretty new to corn tortillas (corn chips have been around forever but tortillas not so much) – the texture is a change but a pleasant one – more depth :) I’d like to start making my own!
What a wonderful read.
:-) Mandy xo
thank you Mandy! xx
Oh your garden is so beautiful! Those tomatoes!! A salsa party (with cervezas!) sounds like heaven to me. I love this Mediterranean version too. Sounds so creative and flavorful!
And I have to say, your youngest sounds like a pretty awesome little man. You’re prepping him well for his future wife. Nice job, mama! :)
yes ma’am, we do like an occasional cold beer – especially IPAs – what a great western discovery :) the little man is coming right along, heeheeh, thank you!
Thank your son and husband for this wonderful taco! I made a pot of black beans on Sunday and wanted to finish them off tomorrow night. Now I know how. Fresh garden tomato salsa…can’t beat it!!! What a great feeling to watch your son take charge in the kitchen. You’ve done good Kelly! Your garden picture is lovely!
thank you Mj – the garden has done well beyond our belief – the transformative power of a subtropical climate :)
What a fun post… I must say I loved the “forest tamer” – made me think of Phil when he starts on his obsession of trimming trees, and I worry every minute he is outside, afraid he will enter the house missing a finger or two… (sigh)
by the way, guess who came to spend a day with us? Kristy and family! I did not know that you met before, so now I am profoundly jealous – I hope one day we can get together too! ;-)
I would love that Sally… you’ll have to let me know the next time you are planning a trip to San Francisco — I’d happily travel up to meet you for lunch :) xx