Peach Salsa

In this new spin on a classic, peaches replace tomatoes, and the result is a healthy, colorful, and refreshing salsa. This peachy take on traditional pico de gallo will satisfy your cravings for sweet, sour, and spicy flavors. Select fresh peaches that are still firm, so their flesh will keep its shape when cubed. In the South, peaches are in season throughout the summer. I prefer free-stone varieties, which have loose pits that release easily from the flesh, making them much simpler to slice. Frozen and thawed peaches may be used in lieu of fresh, but nothing beats the flavor of local, seasonal peaches. Make this salsa, and a kaleidoscope of colors will welcome you to taste. Recipe and photo from The New Southern-Latino Table: Recipes that Bring Together the Bold and Beloved Flavors of Latin America and the American South.* Copyright © 2011 by Sandra A. Gutierrez. Used by permission of the University of North Carolina Press.

Makes 2 ½ cups

• 2 cups peeled and cubed fresh peaches (about 3 large peaches)
• ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
• ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro (leaves and tender stems)
• 2 tablespoons minced jalapeños (seeded and deveined if less heat is desired)
• 1 (2-ounce) jar diced pimientos, drained
• 2 teaspoons grated lime zest
• Juice of 1 lime, or to taste
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

In a medium bowl, combine the peaches, onions, cilantro, jalapeños, pimientos, and lime zest. Add the lime juice and season with salt and pepper.

Let the salsa sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to blend, or cover and chill until ready to use (for up to 24 hours).

Cook’s Tip: Peel peaches easily by using a serrated vegetable peeler (available in cooking specialty shops) or by blanching them. To blanch them, bring a large pan of water to a boil; using a paring knife, cut a small X through the skin at the base of each peach. Drop the peaches into the boiling water for 30 seconds, then transfer them into a bowl of iced water for 2 minutes; peel the skin off starting at the base of the peach.

Sandra Gutierrez is a food writer, recipe developer, and cooking instructor. Visit her at Sandra’s Kitchen Studio.

• Here are lots more recipes for salsas, chutneys, and relishes.

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