LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Homemade salsa the perfect color palate for Fourth of July festivities


Independence Day Salsa Photo Susie Iventosch

I was trying to make a gluten-free chocolate cake, which would be great to share for Fourth of July gatherings, but it just wasn't coming together as planned. Sometimes this happens, and even though it can be frustrating, it opens the door for other ideas. So, at the very last minute, I came up with this festive Independence Day Salsa! Made with garden fresh tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and feta cheese, it's super easy and so delicious. Simply chop cherry tomatoes or a couple of large tomatoes, cut up the olives and crumble the feta over the top. Drizzle a little olive oil and red wine vinegar over it, and season with salt and pepper. Serve it with tortilla or pita chips - something sturdy for scooping. It's the perfect color scheme for Independence Day and it's also really, really delish. If you are so inclined, add some chopped onions or shallots and a little bit of fresh basil. This salsa has plenty of zest with the olives, tangy feta and vinegar, but shallots and basil also add a nice flavor profile.

The nice thing about this recipe is that you can also use it as a salad, or as a topping over cream cheese or goat cheese, or a topper over grilled meats, eggplant or fish. Oh the possibilities! But the simplicity of this as a salsa is so nice. I hope you all have a wonderful Fourth of July.

*Look for the chocolate cake in a future issue. I'm still working on it and hope to deliver a great gluten-free chocolate cake to you soon!

INGREDIENTS

2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped, or 2 cups of chopped cherry tomatoes

1 cup Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Dash of salt and pepper

Pita or tortilla chips

Optional:

1 small red onion, chopped (or shallot)

1 tbsp. minced fresh basil

DIRECTIONS

Mix all ingredients and serve with chips (easy peasy). Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. If you do use onion or shallots, you can opt to add them raw or caramelized. It just depends if you're a raw onion fan or not. I always like to caramelize or roast them before adding them, since I'm one who can't handle raw onions.