Fresh Green "Salsa"

This salsa was suggested by one we ate at a road-side restaurant in Dolores Hidalgo, in Guanajuato state, Mexico. The mixture of green vegetables and herbs, combined with mashed avocado gave a fresh and creamy sauce.

I’ve toned down the amount of hot jalapeño chili, used green tomato rather than tomatillo, and added diced cucumber. The result was somewhere between a Mexican salsa, an Argentinean chimichurri and an Indian fresh chutney.

This was used to tone down an especially hot white chili I made for my wife’s church staff meeting lunch. It was not intended to be as hot as it turned out, but the habanero peppers I used must have been particularly intense.

Make the salsa an hour or two before use, keeping it cold. Stir and taste it for salt, adjusting if needed, just before serving.

Fresh Green “Salsa”

1 ripe avocado
1 long “European-style” (nearly seedless) cucumber
1 large green tomato or 3 medium tomatillos
1 small bunch scallions (green onions)
1 jalapeño pepper
1/2 cup coarsely cut cilantro leaves
Juice of 1 medium-large lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
A sprinkle of black pepper

Scoop avocado flesh into bowl and mash it coarsely with fork.

Rinse off all vegetables before preparing them.

Quarter cucumber lengthwise, line them up together and slice very thinly. Add to bowl.

Core then chop tomato or tomatillos fairly finely. Add to bowl.

Cut off scallion roots and remove any bad tops. Line scallions up and slice both white and green parts very thinly. Add to bowl.

Remove stem, seeds and membranes from jalapeño. Slice thinly lengthwise, then cross cut into fine mince. Add to bowl.

Add cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Mix well. Taste for salt and add some if needed.

Make at least an hour before using, keeping it cold. Mix again and check for salt before serving.