Tag: salsa

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Bringing the Heat

By Fran Hill

There was snow in western South Dakota this week. This wasn’t just a few spring flurries fluttering prettily in the air. Eight to 22 inches of heavy, wet snow fell in places in the Black Hills. Roads were impassable. Trees cracked under the weight, and school closings and late starts came on what should have been the last day of school. Yikes. Winter just won’t give up.

I am all about enjoying the beauty and wonder of all the seasons, but it is late May. Winter’s time is up. The cold and damp and wet need to give it a rest. This state and its people need warmth and sunshine.

I can’t do anything about the sunshine, but I can warm things up a little with a new dip recipe that I tried earlier this spring. Pumpkin Seed Salsa gets its heat from dried chile peppers and a surprising creaminess from pureeing the roasted seeds. I initially served it with fresh vegetable dippers and corn chips, but it was also great on roasted fish and as a chicken taco condiment. This flavorful dip keeps for about a week in the fridge to add a little heat to whatever you are serving on these cold spring days and even later when it finally (hopefully) warms up.

Pumpkin seed salsa provides some much needed warmth to South Dakota’s cold and wet spring.

Pumpkin Seed Salsa

(adapted from The Washington Post)

1/2 cup hulled, raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

3 fresh roma tomatoes

1 tomatillo, husked and rinsed

1/2 of a small white onion, cut into chunks

6 cloves garlic

1 fresh Thai/bird’s-eye chile pepper

4 dried ancho chile peppers

1 tablespoon kosher salt, or more as needed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange pumpkin seeds on a small baking sheet; bake for about 3 minutes, until toasted. Arrange tomatoes, tomatillo, onion, garlic and fresh chile on a separate rimmed baking sheet; cover tightly with aluminum foil. Roast the tomato mixture for 15-20 minutes, until the ingredients have softened.

Meanwhile, lightly toast the dried ancho peppers in a dry skillet for about 30 seconds on each side. Be careful not to burn the dried chiles, or they will be bitter. Place in a bowl and add enough hot water to cover; let sit for about 5 minutes and then drain, reserving the soaking liquid. Remove the seeds and stems from the hydrated peppers.

Combine the toasted pumpkin seeds, the rehydrated chiles, the roasted tomato mixture and salt in a food processor; puree until smooth. As needed, add a bit of the reserved soaking liquid to achieve a hummus-like consistency. Season with additional salt to taste.

Serve dip at room temperature.

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their three dogs ranch near Colome.

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Need for Green

By Fran Hill

It is April, and I am experiencing winter fatigue. The weather forecast is littered with snowflakes and temperatures that still require winter coats, hats, gloves and a survival kit in my car if I dare attempt a road trip. It is cold. It is gray. It is dreary. And I am over it.

Usually I am a lover of all seasons. I rush into the first snowfall to make snow angels. My pups and I crunch through fallen leaves in the autumn. I revere the first buds on trees and watching the lawn and gardens awaken. I even worship the sun’s rays on the hottest days of summer. But I have had enough of the snow, enough of the dull and dead brown, enough of the ice, enough wind, enough brutal cold — enough of this never ending winter.

I want green. Fresh. Vibrant. Green.

There are a few blades of grass greening in my backyard, but Mother Nature threatens to dump more snow in the next few days. For now, I think I’m stuck with the green of my home-canned salsa verde.

Last summer’s garden was prolific with tomatillos. Much sauce and salsa was made, consumed, and immensely enjoyed, and my pantry shelves still boast a few prized jars of this green treasure. We use it as a base for the sauce to slowly braise a pork stew, dunk our tortilla chips and quesadillas in it and spoon it over our favorite enchiladas. It is fresh, vibrant and green — just what I am craving during these last days of an ugly long winter.

Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and their two dogs ranch near Colome.

Salsa Verde for Home-Canning

**If you are unsure of the canning process, there are many informative sites online. I am not a canning authority.**

6 cups tomatillos, chopped

3 cups onions, chopped

3 jalapeno peppers, chopped

6 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 cup roasted green chiles, chopped

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped (divided)

1/2 cup lemon juice

3 teaspoons cumin

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Combine the tomatillos, onions, jalapenos, garlic, green chiles, HALF of the cilantro, lemon juice, cumin, salt and pepper in a large, heavy stock pot. Stir frequently until mixture begins to boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer 20 minutes.

Using an immersion blender, puree the sauce until smooth. (Alternatively, working in batches, carefully blend in a conventional blender to desired texture and return to the stock pot). Add remaining chopped cilantro and stir to combine and simmer briefly. (The cilantro could all be included prior to simmering and blending, but saving some back ensures some”pretty” deeper green flecks in the salsa.)

Ladle into sterilized jars with 1/2-inch head space and seal. Process in a hot water bath for 20 minutes. (Yield: 6 pints)

Note: Additional jalapenos can make a spicier sauce. More cumin will enhance the smokiness. Roasting the tomatillos prior to simmering offers a slightly richer and sweeter flavor. Adding roasted poblano peppers (peeled, seede, and chopped) is a deeper sauce. We had A LOT of tomatillos, and I made many variations of this recipe. This is only a basic idea and can be adjusted to your own tastes.

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Holding on to Summer

By Fran Hill

The heat of summer seemed unrelenting this year. Thermometers soared. Gardens wilted. People melted. Scorching might be the only polite description for those torrid days. And so it is with trepidation that I make my next statement.

Give me a sunny 100-degree day over a breezy one in the 70s.

It is amusing that the sweat I work up on the treadmill disgusts me, but I will willingly swelter with a book in a lawn chair under the blazing sun for hours. I believe the hotter the better for yard work and gardening. I love summer and all the heat that goes with it.

With the official end of summer nearing, I find myself desperate to hold on to that blissful heat. I want the warmth. I need the fever of the sun.

Salsa is one way I keep a grasp on the sunny season. I love the melding of sun-ripened tomatoes and spicy jalapenos on my tongue. I like the smokiness that almost comes across as heat in the back of my throat when I add a little cumin to the mix. It is so satisfying to chop and stir and simmer and process vegetables into beautiful jars of salsa to carry some of the wonderful summer heat into fall and winter.

Basic Salsa for Canning

8-10 jalapeno peppers, chopped finely (I don’t remove seeds or pull out the spines. We like that kick.)
12 cups chopped tomatoes (I don’t peel, but you could, if you prefer.)
2 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped green peppers
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 5-ounce can tomato paste
3/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt


Combine all the ingredients in a large, heavy pot, bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes. Ladle into sterilized pint jars; seal. Process in a hot water bath for 20 minutes. (If you are unsure of the canning process, there are many informative sites online. I am not a canning authority.) Makes 5-6 pints.


Fran Hill has been blogging about food at On My Plate since October of 2006. She, her husband and two dogs reside near Colome.



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Meet Tina

Tina Luttrell with her refreshing cucumber salsa.

South Dakota Magazine now has an even better connection to the beautiful north country of South Dakota — and her name is Tina Luttrell.
Tina has joined our office staff, and is performing a myriad of duties already.

She grew up on a Walworth County town, near the little city of Hoven — which of course we’ve featured on several occasions because it is home to the famous Cathedral of the Prairie, one of the West’s most amazing rural churches.

Tina and her husband, Jim, lived in Bristol before their recent move to Yankton, where he manages the Graham Tire Store. They have two daughters. Brittany, 20, works in Sioux Falls and Cassandra, 15, is a sophomore at Yankton High School.
On her very first morning, the former 4-Her brought a cucumber relish to the office. Do you think she’ll fit in here or not?


Tina Luttrell’s Summer Cucumber Salsa

3 medium to large cucumbers
1 green bell pepper
1 tsp fresh garlic
Ω cup red onion
2 jalapeno peppers
2 tbsp minced cilantro
2 tbsp minced fresh dill
3 squeezes of lime juice (from wedges or lime bottle)

Chop, toss, and chill overnight. Enjoy with tortilla chips — scoops work best!