Recipe: Chunky Roasted Salsa

Chunky Roasted Salsa
This smoky salsa can be a tasty dip with tortilla chips, a delicious topping on tacos, fajitas or quesadillas or a piquant side dish to roasted fish or meat.

2 fresh ears of corn or 1 cup frozen corn
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
3 tomatoes, halved, cored and seeded
1 medium red bell pepper
1 medium green bell pepper
1 medium yellow bell pepper
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 sweet onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 tomatillo, skin removed and diced (optional)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground, or 1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro or parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt

Makes 4 cups

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray roasting pan with vegetable cooking spray. If using fresh corn, remove husks and cut corn kernels from ears. Spread corn kernels and garlic in a single layer at one end of the prepared pan and the tomato halves in the remainder of pan.

Roast vegetables for 15 minutes. Remove corn; return pan to oven and continue to roast tomatoes and garlic until soft, about 30 minutes longer. When cool enough to handle, remove skins from tomatoes and garlic.

Roast peppers by either holding each pepper with tongs over a burner, turning frequently until charred, or placing on a baking sheet and broiling, turning frequently until charred and blistered.

Place peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. When cool enough to handle, peel and remove seeds and membranes. Cut each pepper in half.

Place half of each bell pepper, the garlic, jalapeno pepper and lime juice in a blender or food processor and puree. Pour the pepper mixture into a medium bowl. Dice the tomatoes and remaining peppers; stir into pepper mixture. Add the corn, onion, tomatillo, cumin, cilantro and salt; mix well.

Let salsa sit at room temperature until flavors blend, about 30 minutes.