Fresh Salsa

I love the thought of picking food out of a garden, preparing it, and putting it on my table for my family to enjoy.  I have not quite gotten to that point for many reasons, but I do have some fresh herbs and tomato plants growing in pots in my backyard that I love to incorporate into my dishes in the summer.  Since my husband and I are big chips and salsa fans, it only makes sense for me to use my cilantro to make some.  I am not the biggest fan of chopping vegetables, but the payoff here is huge...jarred salsa just can't touch the taste and goodness of the homemade stuff.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 tomatoes, diced
• 2 ears of corn
• 1/2 cup of red onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup zesty Italian dressing
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
• 1-2 T diced jalapeno peppers (more or less to taste, depending on how spicy you like your salsa)
• 1 cup black beans, rinsed (optional)
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Boil corn for approximately 8 minutes.  (If you are familiar with grilling corn and want to take the time to do so, this would be a good recipe to use grilled corn, too.)  Cut the corn of the cob by slicing down the length of the corn a few rows at a time.
2. Chop all of the veggies and the cilantro.  Gently mix all ingredients.  Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flavors to come together.  We enjoyed it even more the next day.  

Difficulty: Easy to medium (because of the chopping)

Time: about 20 minutes

Source: combined from a few online salsa recipes