Freezer salsa

So, next summer when we are all like "I have a million tomatoes, but I don't feel like canning" remember this recipe. I've made freezer salsa twice over the summer and its awesome.

Freezer salsa. Adapted from some recipe I found on the internet.

• 20 lbs tomatoes
• 2 cups fresh cilantro
• 2 large onions
• 10 garlic cloves
• 10-20 hot peppers I used an assortment of peppers from my garden and the CSA. Roasting them changes the flavor and lowers the heat a bit. I roast some and leave some raw.
• 2 cups chopped green peppers
• 2 tablespoons cumin
• 1/4 cup sea salt
• 1/4 cup vinegar - I don't think I used that much.
• 6 large limes, juice of
• A few sprigs of mexican oregano, if you have it. Not a big deal if you don't.
  

Directions

1. Blanch tomatos in a large pot of boiling water for about a minute. This makes it easy to peel them. I have an immersion blender that I use to break them up after that, but you could chop in a food processor or mash them by hand.

2. Chop cilantro ,onion ,garlic and add to tomatoes.

3. Chop hot peppers with seeds and put in to 10 quart stock pot.
4. Add cumin, salt and vinegar and stir all together.
5. Bring to a boil and lower temperature to keep at a low boil for 2-3 hours.
6. Boil down to about half to get rid of all the extra tomato water.
7. I use whatever jars I have on hand with matching lids.
8. Fill and leave 1/2 inch head space let cool to avoid condensation and ice on top of salsa.
9. Place lids on and freeze.

Black Bean Soup

I got this one off of mothering.com, also.

Black Bean Soup

1 C tomato salsa
3 C cooked black beans (or 2 (15oz) cans)
2 C chicken stock
1 tsp. lime juice
2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
sour cream (optional)

Heat salsa in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Stir in beans and broth. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer soup, covered, for 15 minutes. Let soup cool slightly, then ladle half of it into a food processor or blender and puree it. Return the pureed soup to the pot. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro and heat the mixture through.

Mandy's take on it: I never bother to puree the soup and rarely use cilantro or lime. This soup is so easy and delicious. It tends to be much better with unsalted beans (not most cheap cans of beans). I sometimes put frozen corn in it, also, and serve it with cornbread. I seriously could eat nothing but this soup and cornbread for a week.