This salsa is delicious, easy, and versatile. I serve it with many grilled foods, including seafood, pork, and chicken. It's also excellent as a dip with tortilla chips. To preserve the salsa and prevent it from darkening, bury the avocado pits in it, cover tightly, and store in the refrigerator. It will keep for 3 to 4 days.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 5 to 6 Cups

　　3/4 pound ripe tomatoes, rinsed and drained, stems removed

　　2 avocados, peeled, pit removed, cut into 1/4-inch dice

　　Juice of about 1 1/2 limes (about 4 1/2 tablespoons)

　　1 jalapeno chile, cored and seeded, or to taste

　　1 tablespoon minced garlic

　　1 cup minced scallion greens

　　2 tablespoons fruity extra-virgin olive oil

　　1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped coarsely

　　1 teaspoon salt

　　

First

Step 1

Cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut into 1/2-inch dice and put in a serving bowl.

　　

Second

Step 2

Add the remaining ingredients and carefully stir to mix evenly. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Use as directed in the recipe or served with any type of grilled meat, seafood, or vegetable.

　　

Nutrition Per Serving

Per serving: 70.0 calories

　　50.0 calories from fat

　　6.0g total fat

　　1.0g saturated fat

　　0.0mg cholesterol

　　490.0mg sodium

　　5.0g total carbs

　　1.0g dietary fiber

　　3.0g sugars

　　2.0g protein

　　#### Nutritional analysis provided by [TasteBook

　　using the USDA Nutrition Database]( )

　　Spices of Life: Simple and Delicious Recipes for Great Health by Nina Simonds. Copyright © 2005 by Nina Simonds. Published by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Nina Simonds has lived, studied, and traveled throughout Southeast Asia. For the past thirty years she has taught cooking classes across the United States and in mainland China. An Asian correspondent for Gourmet and a frequent contributor to The New York Times Sunday Travel section, she is also the author of numerous award-winning cookbooks, including A Spoonful of Ginger, which won both a James Beard Foundation Award and an IACP Cookbook Award. She lives in Salem, Massachusetts.