Yellow Tomato Salsa Fresca

Now here's a salsa you should be making all summer long, a table condiment complementary to many sorts of meals and without peer combined with a bag of tortilla chips. Naturally, red tomatoes of any sort can be substituted for the less available yellow variety; tomatillos make a nice change of pace as well at least 1 tablespoon of sugar shoul dbe added to balance the tartness and acidity.

If you have an iron skillet or grill pan, now's the time to break it out. Heat the skillet over a medium flame, and while it's warming up, fill with 2 halved yellow tomatoes, 1 halved jalapeno (if small, use two), 1/2 a large onion and 1-2 whole, unpeeled cloves of garlic. Use a pan large enough so that all items are in a single layer. Roast in the dry pan for about 5 minutes total, flipping the veggies a few times to prevent burning. Adjust the heat as needed. You should end up with softened vegetables, blistered and blackened in a few spots, but definitely not burned.

Allow the skillet contents to cool slightly before transferring to a blender. Add to the blender a large handful of chopped cilantro and salt and black pepper to taste. Blend until you have a rough puree and let rest a few minutes before diving in.