This salsa recipe from Burrito Loco, a restaurant in Mooresville, North Carolina, was printed in the Charlotte Observer by reader request. It is especially delicious with homemade Baked Tortilla Chips.
1 whole medium tomato
1 whole yellow onion, cut in half
1 garlic clove
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 28-ounce can whole or diced peeled tomatoes including juice (fire-roasted or plain)
1 small can pickled jalapenos (4 ounces)
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 sprigs of cilantro
Preheat the oven on the broiler setting. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the tomato and half of the onion on top. Drizzle both with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place the garlic clove on a small piece of aluminum foil and drizzle it with a little more oil. Close the package and place it on the baking sheet. Broil, watching carefully, until the outsides of the tomato and onion are charred. Remove from the oven and let the vegetables cool slightly. (Sometimes this step leads to clouds of black smoke in the oven. Open windows or your smoke alarm will go off!)
Place the vegetables and the remaining ingredients in a blender and blend until just smooth.
Dice the remaining onion and stir it into the rest of the salsa.
YIELD: 4 to 6 servings.