The basil growing in the kitchen

Joni and I allow basil plants to grow in the kitchen. We are therefore pretty much required to make pesto. Consider for a moment that store bought basil (especially the organic kind) is more expensive per ounce than gasoline or cheap Scotch whiskey.  I thought that now would be as good a time as any other to share the current test kitchen version of my lemon walnut pesto which includes:

2 cups of fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup walnuts without shells
1/8 cup EVOO
1/4 cup lemon juice
5 cloves of garlic or 1 1/2 tablespoons
salt and pepper based on personal preference

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Theoretical preparation directions provided for educational purposes only:

1. Use a food processor with at least two cups capacity to chop up the walnuts then add the garlic
2. After processing the walnuts and garlic in the food processor add the EVOO, lemon juice, salt & pepper, and then the basil leaves
3. Store in an airtight container or plastic bag (additional lemon juice can be added for storage)

If you come up with any alternations, then please feel free to let me know via the comment section of this post.

Salsa Gordo Perezoso del Hombre Revised Recipe Update

Test kitchen recipe update v8.02

The current test kitchen version of the salsa includes:

12 scotch bonnet habanero peppers,
30 serrano peppers,
67 jalapeno peppers,
16 bell peppers,
6 poblano peppers, and
8 Anaheim peppers.

Other than the wide variety of peppers:

2 whole onions,
9 garlic cloves,
2 tablespoons sea salt,
3 bunches worth of finely chopped cilantro,
2 1/2 cups of distilled vinegar, and
204 ounces of peeled whole tomatoes (without juice).

This recipe yielded about 13 quarts of glorious salsa.

Basic Salsa Preparation Instructions

1. Make sure you have all of the ingredients and about three hours of free time to complete the cooking process. This batch included the use of a food processor.

2. In multiple food processor batches combine the diced pepper mixture with a chopped up onion and the garlic in a large mixing bowl.

3. Use the food processor to process the peeled whole tomatoes and store them in a separate mixing bowl. In the tomato-mixing bowl, pour one cup of distilled vinegar, two tablespoons of salt, and about half a cup of finely chopped cilantro.

4. Bring all the ingredients for the salsa to a boil for about an hour or simmer the salsa for two hours.

5. Of course, the salsa has to be canned, refrigerated, and stored for about a day before it is ready for consumption. Some people do not boil the salsa and just can the salsa cold, but I have found that it never has exactly the right taste without proper boiling or simmering.

Joni decided that tonight would be a good night for fajitas. The following recipe was deployed in the test kitchen for testing purposes. Before using this recipe, please consider that this recipe is still in beta at version 0.10.

Perhaps this Sunday is a good time to revisit the question, “How do you make your own Salsa?” You probably should accept the fact that making salsa that everyone likes is impossible. First things first, please understand, that naturally, this recipe is for informational purposes only for the sole entertainment of the writer without any warranty, certification, or guarantees. Regardless of much trust, you think recipes off the internet implicitly deserve remember to never make any recipe that cannot be checked against a trusted source. This recipe will make several quarts of rather spicy higher than restaurant quality salsa. Of course, after you make salsa for the first time you are going to want to take notes about what you want to change to modify the next batch. Making good salsa is an iterative process that requires attention to detail and experimentation.

Varieties of options are available for purchasing peppers including organic, greenhouse, or traditional. Part of the fun of making homemade salsa is distributing the final product to family and friends. Something about making salsa is exciting the first few times and then the process of canning starts. If you have not canned salsa, fruit, vegetables, or sauce, then you are missing out on some fun times in the kitchen. Next time you visit the grocery store take note of the sheer number of jars and cans preserving food. Certainly, an economic advantage occurs from the economics of scale associated with producing a large volume of salsa.

Current Salsa Version

The current test kitchen version of the salsa includes 4 scotch bonnet habanero peppers, 15 serrano peppers, 25 jalapeno peppers, 20 sweet peppers, 4 red bell peppers, 2 poblano peppers, and 2 Anaheim peppers. Other than the wide variety of peppers, the salsa included a whole onion, 3 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons salt, one half cup of finely chopped cilantro, a cup of distilled vinegar, and about 50 ounces of peeled whole tomatoes. This recipe yielded about five quarts of glorious salsa.

Basic Salsa Preparation Instructions

1. Make sure you have all of the ingredients and about three hours of free time to complete the cooking process. This batch included the use of a food processor.

2. In multiple food processor batches combine the diced pepper mixture with a chopped up onion and the garlic in a large mixing bowl.

3. Use the food processor to process the peeled whole tomatoes and store them in a separate mixing bowl. In the tomato-mixing bowl, pour one cup of distilled vinegar, two tablespoons of salt, and about half a cup of finely chopped cilantro.

4. Bring all the ingredients for the salsa to a boil for about an hour or simmer the salsa for two hours.

5. Of course, the salsa has to be canned, refrigerated, and stored for about a day before it is ready for consumption. Some people do not boil the salsa and just can the salsa cold, but I have found that it never has exactly the right taste without proper boiling or simmering.

Previous Test Kitchen Salsa Version

The previous version of the salsa included 2 scotch bonnet habanero peppers, 12 serrano peppers, 24 jalapeno peppers, 2 green bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, 1 red bell pepper, 1 orange bell pepper, 2 poblano Pepper, and 2 Anaheim Pepper. Other than the wide variety of peppers, the salsa included a whole onion, a whole garlic clove, 2 tablespoons salt, one cup of cilantro, a cup of distilled vinegar, and about 24 ounces of boiled peeled tomatoes.

Notable Previous Test Kitchen Versions

The April 24, 2006 batch of salsa included the following peppers: 4 scotch bonnet habanero peppers, 12 serrano peppers, 25 jalapeno peppers, 2 green bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, 1 red bell pepper, 1 orange bell pepper, 5 dried chili peppers, 2 poblano Pepper, 2 hot yellow peppers, and 2 Anaheim Pepper. Other than the wide variety of peppers, the salsa included a whole onion, a whole garlic clove, 2 tablespoons salt, half a cup of cilantro, a cup of distilled vinegar, and about 16 ounces of boiled peeled tomatoes.

The April 15, 2006 version of the salsa recipe also known as the “Salsa Gordo Perezoso del Hombre Extreme,” included the following peppers: 12 Scotch Bonnet Habanero peppers, 12 Serrano Peppers, 24 Jalapeno Peppers, 2 Green Bell Pepper, 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, 1 Red Bell Pepper, 1 Orange Bell Pepper, 5 Dried Chili Peppers, 1 Poblano Pepper, and 1 Anaheim Pepper. Other than peppers, the salsa included one whole onion, one whole Garlic Clove, 2 Tablespoons Salt, half a cup of Cilantro, a cup of distilled vinegar, and about 12 to 24 ounces of boiled peeled tomato.

The August 10, 2005 salsa Gordo Perezoso del Hombre version included the following peppers: 2 whole Habanero, 12 whole Serrano Peppers, 12 whole Jalapeno Peppers, 1 Green Bell Pepper, 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, 1 Red Bell Pepper, 1 Orange Bell Pepper, 5 Dried Chili Peppers, and 1 Anaheim Pepper. Other than peppers, the salsa included one whole Onion, one whole Garlic Clove, 2 Tablespoons Salt, half a Cup of Cilantro, a Cup of Vinegar, and about 24 Ounces of Boiled Peeled Tomato.

Today the test kitchen experimented by preparing a spicy Szechuan style Tofu marinade. The basic marinade preparation involved mixing together four tablespoons soy sauce, one tablespoon sesame oil, one clove pressed garlic, one tablespoon minced fresh ginger (or substitute one half teaspoon powdered ginger), one tablespoon sambal, two teaspoons freshly ground Szechuan peppercorns, and one teaspoon sugar. Combine the marinade and half a pound of drained and cubed extra firm tofu into a storage container for at least forty minutes or overnight. Experts from the test kitchen cooked the spicy Szechuan style tofu in a nonstick skillet over medium heat for about five minutes. Overall, the final product was spicy enough to compliment most stir-fry dishes, fried rice, or vegetable dishes.

Spicy Szechuan Sytle Tofu

The basic marinade preparation involved mixing

4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 clove pressed garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (or substitute one half teaspoon powdered ginger)
1 tablespoon sambal
2 teaspoons freshly ground Szechuan peppercorns
1 teaspoon sugar

1. Combine the marinade and half a pound of drained and cubed extra firm tofu into a storage container for at least forty minutes or overnight.

2. Experts from the test kitchen cooked the spicy Szechuan style tofu in a nonstick skillet over medium heat for about five minutes.

Perhaps now is a good time to revisit the question, “How do you make your own Salsa?” You probably should accept the fact that making salsa that everyone likes is impossible. First things first, please understand, that naturally, this recipe is for informational purposes for the sole entertainment of the writer without any warranty, certification, or guarantees. Regardless of much trust, you think recipes off the internet implicitly deserve remember to never make any recipe that cannot be checked against a trusted source. This recipe makes about nine pints of rather spicy higher than restaurant quality salsa. Of course, after you make salsa for the first time you are going to want to take notes about what you want to change to modify the next batch. Making good salsa is an iterative process that requires attention to detail and experimentation.

The previous salsa recipe included the following peppers: 2 whole Habanero, 12 whole Serrano Peppers, 12 whole Jalapeno Peppers, 1 Green Bell Pepper, 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, 1 Red Bell Pepper, 1 Orange Bell Pepper, 5 Dried Chili Peppers, and 1 Anaheim Pepper. Other than peppers, the salsa includes one whole Onion, one whole Garlic Clove, 2 Tablespoons Salt, half a Cup of Cilantro, a Cup of Vinegar, and about 24 Ounces of Boiled Peeled Tomato.

The current salsa recipe included the following peppers: 12 whole Scotch Bonnet Habanero peppers, 12 whole Serrano Peppers, 24 whole Jalapeno Peppers, 2 Green Bell Pepper, 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, 1 Red Bell Pepper, 1 Orange Bell Pepper, 5 Dried Chili Peppers, 1 Poblano Pepper, and 1 Anaheim Pepper. Other than peppers, the salsa includes one whole Onion, one whole Garlic Clove, 2 Tablespoons Salt, half a Cup of Cilantro, a Cup of Distilled Vinegar, and about 12 to 24 Ounces of Boiled Peeled Tomato.

Make sure you have all of the ingredients and about three hours of free time to complete the cooking process. This batch included the use of a food processor. Combine the diced mixture with a chopped up onion and an entire clove of garlic in a large mixing bowl. Finely chop up about twenty-four ounces of peeled boiled whole tomatoes and store them in a separate mixing bowl. In the tomato-mixing bowl, pour one cup of distilled vinegar, two tablespoons of salt, and about half a cup of cilantro.

The pepper, onion, and garlic bowl needs to cook in a large pot before the tomato bowl completes the assembly process. Bring the salsa to a boil for about an hour or simmer the salsa for two hours. Of course, the salsa has to be canned, refrigerated, and stored for about a day before it is ready for consumption. Some people do not boil the salsa and just can the salsa cold, but I have found that it never tastes right if it is not brought to a boil for about half an hour.