13, May 2007
Bacon-Lemon Balm Salsa

I wanted to make a sauteed salsa, as opposed to the fresh “tomato-garlic-cilantro in food processor” thing I usually do, and I decided to use a little bacon to get a nice smoky flavor. This would probably be great with the usual cilantro, but I have too many friends who can’t eat the stuff; the lemon balm has an interesting flavor, especially combined with some mint. Plus, I have both in my yard.



Ingredients
2 tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
big handful of fresh mint and lemon balm
2 strips bacon
olive oil, fresh-ground black pepper, kosher salt, red pepper flakes

Directions
fry the bacon on medium-high in a medium saucepan. dry the bacon on a paper towel, but leave the grease in the pan. mince the garlic, greens, and bacon (eg, in a food processor). dice the tomatoes or pulse them in the food processor. mix everything together, adding pepper, salt, and red pepper to taste. reheat the bacon grease to medium, adding olive oil if needed. add all the ingredients and saute for 20-30 min on medium-low, stirring occasionally.
Verdict
really good! the bacon gives it some nice depth and flavor, and while you can’t really identify the mint or lemon balm, the overall combination of flavors works pretty well.