Tomato & Celery Salsa with Frank’s Hot Sauce

Nibbles & Bites Issue # 17: Make dinner in your bathing suit this summer!

Hi all, and happy happy summer!

I can confidently say that this is the first recipe for this newsletter that I developed in a dripping wet bathing suit after splashing around a pool with a group of friends, but it will certainly not be the last that I develop while sun-kissed and wrapped in a damp pool towel. Summer is officially here, baby!

Do you ever wonder why some of your best ideas come to you while you shower or do something relaxing, like go for a swim? Well, when you’re relaxed your brain is allowed to wander more freely, and be more creative and expressive. During this time, your brain isn’t stressed or overstimulated and trying to synthesize too much information, so you can focus on whatever inspires you in that single moment. For me, this state of sun-drenched calm resulted in a creative burst of inspiration to make a salsa using some fresh summer tomatoes that were lying around the house.

I sort of went off of the cuff with this recipe and just used what was available to me at the time, which is how I prefer to approach cooking and eating. There was no cilantro in the house, so I used celery and a sad little bit of parsley as my herb of choice. Once I had those ingredients all chopped up for the salsa, I decided to fully lean into flavors reminiscent of a bloody mary (minus the worcestershire, olives, or celery salt, although honestly you could try adding any of these ingredients).

I love this recipe because it is so stupid easy to put together, it is refreshing enough to eat poolside in the heat of summer and relies on very few ingredients, all of which you probably have lying around your kitchen. It’s also hydrating for those days when the summer sun is so strong you feel so though you’ll immediately melt like a popsicle.

I hope you enjoy this quick and easy recipe and that this newsletter inspires you to put your feet up (poolside or not) this weekend to find some much needed relaxation. Your brain simply cannot operate optimally without some down-time, so please carve it out for yourself. You won’t regret it and who knows what amazing ideas might come out of the lull!

All the best,

Kristen 

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Tomato & Celery Salsa with Frank’s Hot Sauce

Ingredients: 

2-3 celery stalks

3-4 ripe beefsteak tomatoes

⅓ cup diced red onion

1 lime, juiced

2 tbsp Frank’s hot sauce

¼ cup olive oil

2 tsp sugar or honey

2 tsp parsley

Tortilla chips to serve

Instructions:

1. Small dice the celery, tomatoes and red onion, making all the pieces as uniform and similarly sized as possible. Place the diced onion and lime juice in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and allow to sit for 10 minutes until the onion softens and turns a lighter shade of purple.

2. After the onions have marinated, add the diced tomatoes, diced celery, Frank’s Red Hot, olive oil, sugar or honey depending on which you prefer, and parsley. Mix well to combine until everything is thoroughly incorporated. Taste, then season with salt and pepper to your liking. Serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy!

*Chef’s tip: The residual tomato-infused water at the bottom of the bowl of salsa can and should be saved to make a delicious, light bloody mary margarita or just mixed it with a bit of vodka, seltzer, lime or olive juice, and a dash more of hot sauce for a fun refreshing drink with a kick!