Peach Salsa

We were blessed with a couple of bushels of peaches recently.And what a delicious blessing it was! I turned a bunch of the peaches into jam, which is my family's number 1 favorite jam. (Blackberry follows a close second.)

And today, I made this amazingly fresh, sweet and spicy salsa. I liked it so much that I made another batch and canned it.

Here's the recipe:

 

5 cups of diced peaches

1 cup of diced tomatoes

1 diced bell pepper

1 cup diced onion

3 jalapenos, minced

3-4 cloves garlic, minced*

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 cup vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp ground cumin

2 Tbs honey

 

*Be sure to use freshly minced garlic. That jarred stuff just doesn't pack enough punch!

 

Combine everything and enjoy! You could eat this with chips, over grilled meat, or with a spoon like me!

 

If you do wish to can this, just ladle it into hot sterile jars and process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes. Makes 3 pints.

Black Bean Salsa

If you only make one recipe from this blog, let it be this one. I got this recipe from my sister-in-law several years ago and it is one of my favorite recipes of all time! It is sweet, tangy & crunchy and can serve as a dip for chips, a topping for grilled meats or even as a yummy summertime side dish. I love, love, love it!

Ingredients:

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1 jar diced pimientos, drained
1 bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup oil
a few dashes of hot sauce
salt & pepper, to taste

Combine the first 5 ingredients. Whisk together the remaining ingredients. Pour it over the bean mixture & allow it to marinate in the fridge for a few hours before serving. Serve with a slotted spoon. Enjoy!

Strawberry Shortbread Bites

The strawberries in the garden are still coming in! My girl Sugar Baby whipped up a batch of shortbread yesterday & just as it came out of the oven, one of the boys brought in another bowl of strawberries. I looked at the shortbread & I looked at the strawberries & the wheels started turning... there was cream cheese in the fridge... we could do some kind of fruit pizza! So eventually we ended up with these cute little delicious bites.

For the shortbread:
5 cups of flour
1 cup of sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups of butter, cut into little pieces (yes, that IS a lot of butter!)

Combine all of the ingredients until it forms a dough. A mixer with a paddle attachment works well for this. Press it into a greased 15x10" pan & prick all over with a fork. Bake at 325F for 30 minutes or until set in the middle. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then cut into 1 1/2" (approximately) squares. Leave in the pan & let cool all the way.

For the cream cheese part:
2 8oz packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Beat the 3 ingredients together until smooth.

Place a dollup - about a tablespoon - of cream cheese on each shortbread square. Top with a strawberry slice - or even a whole berry if they are small.

Makes about 4 dozen.

Sausage Balls

These are so simple and good. I've brought them to potlucks and church breakfasts & they are always gobbled up.

1 pound ground pork sausage (hot/spicy is best, in my opinion)
1 cup biscuit mix*
1 pound sharp cheddar, shredded (the sharper, the better)
1 jalapeno, finely chopped (optional)

Combine all of the ingredients and shape into walnut-sized balls. Bake on a lightly greased baking sheet at 350F for 20 minutes, or until golden. Makes about 4 dozen.

*I never have biscuit mix on hand, so I use 1 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder & 1/2 tsp salt instead.