Bubba Rumba Salsa.

Bubba  Rumba  Salsa.

 I do a lot of research travelling from farms to markets to find the right produce. Tomatoes are one of the most used items for my recipes. The quest to find the best tasting tomatoes takes a lot of trial and error circumstances. They all look so good sitting there on the grocers produce island. Looks can be deceiving! Picked green and held in controlled atmosphere till they are shipped to the retail stores takes out a big bite of flavour. You also notice that tomatoes cost big money at certain times of the year. I find that the mesh bag of tender mini cherry tomatoes to be the tastiest during off season for eating and salads. I mostly use organic canned tomatoes rather then wasting my money on the fresh grocery store produce during the winter months. I have found the quality to be outstanding in some brands. But during the summer months there is nothing better than fresh off the vine beef stake or plum tomatoes for making sauces and salads.

Some thirty years later here in BC I still find my self looking for the ultimate tomato fix. I shop the local markets for heirloom varieties from Hazelmere, Salt Springs Island and Summerland which are so delicious raw or mixed with some fresh herbs in a vinaigrette. Beef stake tomatoes when sided with some fresh bread and cheese make a splendid lunch. I roast plum tomatoes for most of my dishes and sun dry them also for later use. The tomatoes sugars and flavours are held in suspension when they are dried. They are great for adding to pastas and used for accompaniments to roasts.

Here is great recipe if you like salsa sauce but hate the chemical preservatives and sodium the store bought varieties have in them to last years on the shelve. When the ingredients can be purchased in season the costs savings alone will be worth the effort. This recipe can be easily halved or quartered in volume but when you taste this salsa mix your family and friends will all agree that it is much more superior in taste than the store bought stuff.

You will need.

5 lbs plum tomatoes

5 lbs beef stake tomatoes

1 doz. green pepper

1 doz. red pepper

10 Ibs. onions

10 yellow and jalapeno mixed,

2 cups tomato paste

2 tbs cumin seed

5 heads fresh garlic minced

2cups of packed fresh Parsley and Cilantro leaves.

1 cup  oregano

¼ cup kosher salt

¼ cup fresh ground pepper

1 cup white vinegar

1 cup brown sugar.

1 tbs worchestershire sauce.

1 tbs tabasco sauce.

Place tomatoes in sink with boiling water and let sit until tomato skin blisters and then peel off the skin. Remove as much seed as you can and chop tomatoes into bite size chunks by hand or in a food processor. Chop peppers and onions the same way. In a large stainless pot bring tomatoes to a boil and then add peppers, onions and garlic.

While this is cooking place the tomato paste, vinegar, brown sugar, salt, pepper and ground cumin in a stainless steel bowl and mix together. Cook for one hour on medium high heat, stirring gently and always turning from bottom.

Reduce heat to simmer and continue to cook approximately another half hour till the mixtures liquid is thick and then add the remaining ingredients and blend and cook till the flavour’s married together. [Cooking times may vary!]

While the mixture is still hot place into sterile jars and seal tightly placing in 190 degree water for 10 minutes.

Cool and store in a cool dark place. [Recipe makes approx.12 x 500ml. and 24 x.250 ml jars.]