This salsa is really really good.  I made it the other night to go with grilled halibut and I knew after one bite that I had a winner.  It’s made the same way as the mango salsa I’ve been making for years— the strawberries are tossed with lime, cilantro and finely minced red onion, but this one has the added kick of jalapeño.  It works perfectly and you can use it on fish, tacos, chicken, meats, or just scoop it up with chips. 

It’s perfect for bringing to a party or barbecue this weekend.  It’s distinctive and I bet no one’s had it before.  It’s sweet, tangy, spicy, it’s got it all going on.  Strawberries are at their peak right now, so go for it.

It’s silly for me to present this as a recipe with strict measurements because, really, you can just chop, drop, and taste as you go.  These are just rough guidelines…

Strawberry Jalapeño Salsa
15-20 strawberries, chopped into small even dice
1/3 medium red onion, finely minced
handful of cilantro, well rinsed and finely chopped
1 Jalapeño, finely minced, seeds and all.  (leave the seeds out for less heat)
juice of 1 lime
fresh cracked black pepper

• Mix everything in a bowl.  Chill until ready to serve.

Notes:  Don’t make this much more than an hour or so before serving.  Like all salsas, it will wilt and the fruit will get a little mushy.  An hour is the optimal amount of time for the flavors to meld and the juices to start flowing.  Longer than that and the salsa will slowly start to lose its fresh appearance.

It really does seem, with a few exceptions (hello bananas) that most fruits make amazing salsas.  It shouldn’t surprise you because, technically, even the tomato is a fruit.  So far some of my favorites have been pineapple, apricot  and cantaloupe, but mango and citrus salsas will always be my favorite favorites.  Ok, that makes no sense.  Salsa makes me a little crazy.

If you make this, let me know how you like it!