Guest Post #10: Strawberry Peach Salsa

Well here goes nothing...this is the first non-baking/dessert post to go up. Am I venturing into a new a area?  Maybe...I mean I do cook too.  My life isn't always sweet...I have ventured into the savory a bit with savory scones, empanadas, tarts, quiche and even savory waffles, but they have always involved baking.  We shall see, but this one is a special post from an old friend who came up to DC for a weekend to visit.  Karl and I met in high school, even though we didn't attend the same school.  We dated for a bit, attended a school dance together, had German class "together" through a TV and went with a group to Germany.  We have stayed friends through college and after...even with two states between us.  Karl is a great cook!  I can remember him grilling even in high school, so this is not a new thing.  

It was so much fun having a foodie in town to not only cook with, but to go out to eat with.  So, when he suggested we make a this salsa to go with the fish, I said go for it!  He made the salsa, I made the fish and they paired terrifically together. Although I have to admit, the fish was a bit salty, but had a lot of kick to it.  Any who, you should definitely try this one out!  Its simple, easy and refreshing!  Enjoy!

From Karl: 
When visiting a friend who writes a blog about cooking great food, what else is there to do but try to use my limited culinary skills and enjoy the great food that comes out of the kitchen? That’s exactly what I did when visiting DC. After an offering of a few recipes, I decided on fried catfish with salsa for dinner. However, I thought I could switch the suggested salsa recipe with a strawberry-mango one I’ve used before.

First, we started by dicing the strawberries in tiny bits. You only need about a cup.

Instead of the mangoes the original recipe calls for, we decided to use peaches instead. It worked out wonderfully and allowed a sweet topping for the Cajun spiced catfish.

Next came about half a cup of finely chopped red onion and a few green onions, also finely chopped. I was lucky enough to be able to walk out to the garden and pick a few basil leaves off the plant to add continue my chopping skills and add to the mix.

Finally, despite having a juicer in the kitchen, I hand-squeezed an entire lemon over the mixture to create a colorful, sweet, tasty salsa to add to the yummy fried catfish made by my wonderful host/blogger.   This salsa is great for days, as the flavors all come together nicely the longer it sits.  I would definitely recommend making a few hours in advance. 

Strawberry Peach Salsa: (modified from Baltic Maid)

Ingredients

1 cups finely diced strawberries

1 cups finely diced peaches

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

handful basil leaves, finely chopped

a few green onions, finely chopped

2 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

salt, chili powder to taste

1. Add all the diced and chopped ingredients to a bowl and mix them.

2. Drizzle the lemon juice over the salsa and season it to taste with salt and chili powder. Let it marinade in the refrigerator for a few hours.

3. Serve with tortilla chips or as a topping for chicken or fish.