Roasted Blueberry Salsa

I am not sure how I decided that I needed to add blueberries to my salsa, but for some reason it had to be done.  Afterall, many people add fruit to their salsa but it is usually something like mangoes or pineapple...not berries.  My Mom said it sounded disgusting and thought I was crazy for doing such a thing, that is until she tasted it and was won over.  Every summer we get a large amount of tomatoes from my Grandpa's garden and much of that goes to making roasted chipotle salsa.  Many different things have been added to it my favorite of which is habaneros for a kick but never blueberries. 

So last week when I threw the tomatoes, onions, garlic and berries on the pan and hoped that this experiment would be delicious.  It sure smelled good...but of course it had to cool before we could properly taste it.  Once cool, I added lime, basil, and chipotle and I was right about my premonition that this would be good.  It had a deep tomato flavor with a hint of tart and sweet from the berries which lended almost a jammy note.  I had blended it pretty smooth because that is the way my Mom likes it and I was to share it with her, but I think next time I would leave it chunkier were I making it for myself.  It was perfect with some home made chips I had made in anticipation of the salsa making. My Mom admitted that it was good and I have to say, she has eaten most of it the salsa lover she is!  So if you are looking for a salsa that is a little different here is the recipe!

Roasted Tomato Blueberry Salsa

Makes about 6 cups

6 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 8ths

1 red onion, sliced

4 garlic cloves

olive oil

2 cups organic blueberries

1/2 cup fresh basil
juice of 4 limes
sea salt
1 Tbsp chopped chipotle in adobo sauce
freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp agave nectar

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees and line a sheet pan with foil.  Spread out tomatoes, onions, and garlic on sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil.  Place in the oven and roast for about 20 minutes until softened then add blueberries and continue to roast for about another 10 minutes until the berries have burst and everything is starting to caramelize and brown at edges.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Place in a food processor along with basil, lime juice, sea salt to taste, chipotle, freshly ground pepper to taste, and agave nectar.  Process to desired consistency and chill before serving. 

Mid-Summer Slaw with Roquefort

One salad that is often seen on a picnic buffet in the summer is coleslaw.  I can see why so many people love it due to its creamy dressing and cooling effect on the body.  However, when I was younger I didn't have a taste for it.  Even now as an adult, it has to be really good coleslaw in order for me to eat it, or at least the creamy homestyle kind.  I am all about the ones made with light Asian dressing.  It is the heavyness of the loads of mayonnaise in most classic recipes I don't care for.  Which is exactly why when my Mom said I should make some classic coleslaw for her, and I agreed, I tweaked the recipe quite a bit. 

First off, I figured if it was going to have richness it wasn't going to come from the mayonnaise so I added some local roquefort style cheese to it.  I love how it adds so much flavor without having to add a large amount.  Second, I made a vegannaise based dressing and laced it with lemon nstead of the usual vinegar to keep it summery and added some honey for sweetness instead of the large amount of sugar in most recipes.  Fresh herbs were a must as well, so I picked some basil and chervil from my patio and added them for freshness.  I thought it was delicious, the best creamy slaw I have ever tasted!  The roquefort giving it that something special that other slaws do not have.  The big test however was if my Mom would approve...and she did!  She told me that I would need to make this a few more times before summer is over.  I have included the recipe if you would like to try my version of creamy coleslaw.

Mid-Summer Slaw with Roquefort

Serves 4-6

Slaw:

1/2 1 small red cabbage, thinly sliced

1/2 1 small green cabbage, thinly sliced
 3 medium carrots, cut julienne
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup fresh chervil, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled roquefort cheese

Dressing:
1/4 cup vegannaise
juice of one lemon
1 Tbsp honey
1 garlic clove, minced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine cabbage, carrots, shallot, basil, chervil, and roquefort.  In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients until smooth, then pour over the slaw and toss well to coat.  Serve chilled.