Fresh Garden Salsa Recipe

In addition to the upside down pepper plant I've been growing (psst, it's doing well- I'll post an update soon), I couldn't resist also buying this growing red bell pepper plant.  This baby was over two feet tall when I bought it and already had bell peppers growing on it, so I knew it would be a sure thing.

I was thrilled last week when two of the peppers were ripe for picking.  By the way, did you know that green bell peppers and red bell peppers are really the same thing?  If you let the green pepper ripen longer they will turn red and have a sweeter taste.  Since I like the sweetness of red peppers I resisted the urge to pick too soon and let my peppers ripen fully.



That's how I ended up with this beauty!  My first home grown pepper!



But the pepper didn't look like this for long, as soon as I picked it (and snapped a photo for posterity) I chopped up this bad boy for a home grown salsa.  I also picked some basil and cilantro, grown in my wacky stacked planters, and added a fresh tomato grown from my Dad's garden.  The only store bought ingredient in my salsa was an avocado .



I tossed the chopped veggies into a bowl and added a little lemon juice, olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper.  In just a few minutes, I had yummy homegrown and homemade salsa!  It was delicious and smelled amazing!  I was so proud of my homegrown pepper and it didn't disappoint, it tasted so much fresher and more flavorful than any store bought pepper I've ever had.



We ate the salsa with some whole grain tortilla chips and it was delicious!  The salsa was so yummy, I made another batch the following night and scooped it over tortilla chips drizzled with melted low fat cheese for a healthier nacho style meal.

Here's the full details for my super simple and yummy Fresh Garden Salsa Recipe:

• 1 Tomato
• 1 Red Bell Pepper
• 1 Avocado
• 2 tbsp Fresh Basil
• 1 tbsp Fresh Cilantro
• 1 tsp Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Lemon Juice
• Salt (to taste)
• Ground Black Pepper (to taste)

1. Chop up the veggies
2. Toss with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste
3. Serve with tortilla chips
4. Enjoy!!!

Are you growing veggies this year?  Any tasty recipes you've come up with?