As summer comes to an end there is still time to enjoy the last of the orchard fruits (and get some really good deals!). There can also be the issue of what to do with it all! Being the recipient of a goodly supply of ripe nectarines, I made several calls and spent a lovely few hours catching up with friends and chopping. We tripled the batch so there was enough for everyone to take home for dinner and I could still bake a cobbler with what remained.
If you have peaches rather than nectarines, please substitute and carry one. There are so many variations for home made salsa, I would encourage you to experiment. Balsamic vinegar rather than lime juice, a hotter pepper, adding avocados or cucumber to the mix is just a place to begin exploring
You will need:
1 1/2 cups chopped nectarines, fresh
1/2 cup finely chopped red pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
2 Tbsp. finely chopped Poblano pepper
1 Tbsp. cilantro
1 Tbsp. lime juice, fresh
zest of half a lime
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
” For all the gifts the Earth has given, thank you. For the bounty shared and then passed on, thank you. For the generosity of spirit around me, thank you. May I offer the same to others.”
The fruit was very ripe and was also second quality, meaning a slightly tougher skin with some scars.
For those reasons, I decided to blanch the nectarines and then peel the fruit before using.
This is not a requirement as nectarine skins are edible. If you decide on taking the skin off, you will need a pot of boiling water and a bowl of ice water. Place the fruit in the boiling water for 45 seconds before transferring to the ice water to cool the fruit again.
We did 30 seconds on the first batch and it wasn’t quite long enough for easy peeling. Test and adjust the time, to what is appropriate for the condition of your fruit.
Finely dice the red pepper, onions and cilantro.
Stir to combine and then add the lime juice, lime zest, salt and oil.
If you are the only person chopping, these ingredients can sit by themselves while the fruit is being cut.
Chopping the nectarines first can, with really juicy ripe fruit like I was using, up the possibility of the fruit browning while waiting for the vegetables to be finished.
We used a Poblano pepper for the salsa (the big pepper on the left). They are comparatively, not very spicy, but boy do they add flavour, making them one of the more popular peppers in Tex-Mex and Mexican cuisine. If you get the chance, try them roasted! Fresh they add a lovely extra crunch to the salsa.
If you enjoy something hotter, the Jalapeno on the right might be your choice for the salsa.
It is impossible to judge a variety of pepper by one sampling as each individual pepper will have a different intensity. If you believe that taking out the seeds will help cool the heat, you might enjoy this article from Fine Dining Lovers.
As this is a fresh fruit salsa, it will need an hour or so of sitting so that the flavours can combine. The longer the salsa sits, the more the flavour of the peppers will step forward. For that reason, start with a smaller amount of finely chopped pepper and add sparingly until happiness is achieved.
Serve with nachos, whitefish, eggs, or soup. Mabon around the corner, so also consider adding this salsa to a batch of cornbread. Enjoy!
Nectarine Salsa from My Kitchen Wand
