Spiced Tomato and Plum Jam

Getting back into the groove at work after a great vacation is always tough, and the day before getting back to work in my books is the most horrible day of the year. I dread the last day of vacation when I have to think about the thousands of emails that are waiting in my inbox, all the work that built up while I was gone, and all the changes that happened in that short time I was away. It almost feels like the moment when you wake up after a dream that filled you with happiness and positivity only to realize that you're not laying in the sand, on a nice beach, waiting for a cocktail in a giant exotic fruit and some nice seafood to be served, but rather you're in bed with your alarm forcing you to get up and ready to do what you've been doing for the last few years of your adult life- work.  

Whoever says he or she enjoys going to work on a Monday, especially if it's right after vacation, is either crazy or the luckiest person alive. It may seem like I dislike work, but I actually don't. I've worked very hard my entire life to get where I'm at right now. Coming from a small Romanian town from a working class family, never allowed me the luxury of not working, or working without giving 100%.

Seeing new places, having the freedom of waking up whenever you please, your mom or grandma cooking your favorite dishes just like they did when you were a kid is something so special that no job in this world can offer. Hanging out with the parents you haven't seen in so long, catching up with old friends that you haven't talked to in years, sharing your best memories and experiences with loved ones are all essential in my life. They are priceless. No money in this world is able to buy those emotions, that happiness. This vacation was just like that and it fed my soul.

Fall is slowly creeping up on us. The cold nights are about to arrive when all you want to do is sit on the couch wrapped up in a fluffy blanket and watch Netflix with a delicious bowl of hearty comfort food while also sipping on a big ol' mug of mulled wine. Fall is beautiful.

In Romania, fall is the season when everyone prepares for the winter. People stock their pantry with preserves, jams, compotes and pickles. My parents were very proud to show me and Roni their freezer stacked with vegetables that my dad grew in my grandma's garden. Ziplocks full with eggplant, peppers, green beans, peas and fruits like cherries and plums are arranged in order in their freezer. The pantry is also at capacity with jars of pickled beans, cabbage, cucumbers, zacusca, peach compote, strawberry and raspberry preserves and bottles of tomato juice. Roni asked me to take a picture of their pantry but unfortunately I forgot to.

If you're a fan of seasonal vegetables you may be interested in preserving some that are easy to preserve like green beans, eggplant and tomatoes. Preserving is a lot easier than it sounds. I was fortunate to see my parents and grandparents doing it ever since I was a kid. Every year in fall the freezer would get packed. This year they harvested over 400 pounds of tomatoes, 100 pounds of peppers, 150 pounds of green beans and lot of eggplant from their garden. They had to give away more than half of the tomatoes, yet still ended up with over 60 liters of tomato juice (called bullion in Romanian), jars of pickled green tomatoes (called gogonele) and a couple of shelves of eggplant and peppers.

The idea for this tomato jam came to mind when I was trying to find a good condiment for the venison burgers I made for Roni's brother and dad. I wanted something sweet and fruity to go well with the game meat. I decided to combine the tomatoes with some plums I found on sale. The result was fantastic with a good balance between the sweetness of the tomatoes and the tartness of the plums. I also had the jam as part of a charcuterie plate served with crackers and a few smoked cheeses. It was absolutely delightful. Give it a shot!

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Spiced Tomato and Plum Jam

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Yields about 2-3 cups
Prep time: 20 minutes
Inactive time: 1 hour and 45 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 dried guajillo pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs Roma tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1/2 lb red plums, pitted and roughly chopped
• 1 serrano pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped 
• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
• 1/2 inch ginger, crushed and finely chopped
• 1 stick cinnamon 
• 1 bay leaf
• 2-3 whole cloves
• 2 cardamom pods
• 5-6 basil leaves, chopped
• 1/4 tsp red chili flakes
• 2 TBS fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon juiced)
• 4 TBS sugar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

1. Fill a small sauce pan half way through with water. Add the guajillo peppers and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Remove from heat, cover and set aside. Let the peppers soak for 10-15 minutes, or until you finish preparing the other ingredients. 
3. In a large sauce pan add the rest of the ingredients and the guajillo peppers and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring often to keep it away from burning.
4. When it starts boiling, reduce the heat to low and let the mixture simmer for about an hour and a half or so, or until it reaches a thick, sticky and jam like consistency*. Stir occasionally. 
5. Cool and refrigerate until ready to use. Serve as an appetizer with crackers and cheese or as a condiment for burgers and sandwiches. 

Notes

• * Make sure the heat is low enough so you avoid burning the jam.
• The consistency is going to be a bit on the chunky side. If you like ketchup like consistency put the jam in a food processor and pulse until it becomes smooth.
• If you'd like to preserve the jam, don't let it cool down. As soon as the jam is ready, remove from heat and using a big spoon or ladle transfer the jam into hot sterilized jars, leaving about 1/4-inch headspace. Stir the jam in the jar with a spatula to get rid of any air pockets that built up. Clean the rims of the jars, cover with lids, and screw bands on. Place jars in a pot filled with about 2-3 inches of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pot with a lid or a couple of wet towels and boil for about 15 minutes. Next, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for another 5-10 minutes. 

Cauliflower Fish Cake With Chili-Lime Yogurt Sauce

Fish cakes are pretty new to me. I started making them about a year ago with this combination of flaky fish and smooth and rich cauliflower being my favorite. I was introduced to fish cakes by a chef whose name I can't recall, but let's call him Juan. I worked with him in Virginia during mycollege years when I waited tables at a restaurant called Blue Water Grill during the summer. Juan was really good at preparing fish and seafood and according to him fish cakes and crab cakes were his specialty.

I was in Virginia on an inter-exchange program for students lucky and brave enough to fly across the ocean into the unknown to experience the American Dream. It was the summer of 2006, the second summer I spent in the U.S. I started my American journey that summer as a lifeguard, but soon after I decided to quit that job and start waiting tables instead. It was a good way to practice and improve my English and it also gave me the opportunity to interact with people. The most appealing part to me was that I got to be close to a professional kitchen where I could watch and learn from the line cooks and chefs. I loved working there even though it got pretty wild and rough sometimes.

If you’re not familiar with professional cooking, Anthony Bourdain describes his experience as a cook in Kitchen Confidential (I highly recommend reading this book) and his descriptions basically hold true in any restaurant kitchen in the U.S. Obscene and abusive language, salty chefs, waiters that screw up orders, drinking and eating at work are all part of your every day life in the restaurant industry. I fell in love with it after those few months and when I returned to Romania in the fall to continue my studies, I really missed all the people that I worked and bonded with.

In the past, fish cakes were seen as an easy way to incorporate leftover fish that otherwise would've been thrown away. The most common fish used is still cod, but other white flakey fish like haddock or pollock can be used to achieve similar flavor and texture. The potatoes and eggs are the binding elements, while also adding some texture and creaminess to the cakes in the process. I choose to add cauliflower as well, not only because cauliflower is delicious and nutritious, but also because of Roni's habit of sneaking a cauliflower in our cart while grocery shopping.

One thing that it's worth mentioning about this dish is that it will leave a stink in the house that would hang around for hours. The flavor and taste of the dish is in total contradiction with its smell, but, you know, I care for my readers and want them to return to my blog, not curse my cauliflower fish cakes for turning their house into a fart fort. So in case you were trying to find a dish to impress and cook for your date, maybe look for something else until you get a bit closer and more comfortable around each other. As my father used to say only cauliflower and farts smell like farts. 

One of the most important things to keep in mind when making fish cakes is that you have to place them in hot oil. Really hot oil. If you don't the fish cakes will be soggy and greasy instead of crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside. I usually serve them as a main dish with a salad or even on a bun as a fish burger, but you can make them smaller and serve them as appetizers. No matter how and when you serve them, this dish is going to be a definite conversation piece. As for the chili-lime yogurt sauce, it adds that tangy and refreshing element that the sweet and rich fish cake is lacking. Enjoy!

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Cauliflower Fish Cake With Chili-Lime Yogurt Sauce

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Yields 8-10 fish cakes
Prep time: 35 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Inactive time: 10 minutes
 

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Ingredients

Fish Cakes

• 1 lb cauliflower florets (1 medium cauliflower)
• 1/2 lb Yukon potatoes (1 large potato), peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 TBS salt (iodized, table or kosher)
• 1 lb fish fillet (cod, haddock or sole)
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup broth (chicken or vegetable)
• 1/2 cup white wine (preferably white)
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 eggs, pasture raised
• 1 shallot, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 TBS olive oil
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (optional)
• 1 cup oil (peanut, canola or sunflower seed)

Chili-lime yogurt

• 3/4 cup yogurt
• 2 tsp chili flakes
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 medium jalapeño, finely chopped (about 1-2 TBS)
• 1 large lime, juiced (2-3 TBS fresh lime juice)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

Instructions

1. Fill a large pot halfway up with water. Add cauliflower, potato, and a tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the cauliflower can be easily pierced with the tip of a pairing knife, about 20-25 minutes.
2. While the cauliflower and potato are cooking poach the fish. In a large saucepan combine water, broth, wine, thyme, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add fish fillets, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the sauce pan and let the fish poach for no more than 5 minutes.
3. In the meantime, in a small bowl mix all the ingredients under chili-lime sauce. Stir well until the ingredients are mixed well. Cover with a plastic wrap and place it the refrigerator.
4. Remove fish from the pan using a sieve or a slotted spoon. Drain, discard the juice and let the fish cool. Once cold, break the fillets into small chunks.
5. Drain the cauliflower and potato and let them cool for about 5 minutes. Place them in a food processor, pulse them a few times into small chunks. Do not overdo it, as you don't want them mashed, but chunky.
6. Transfer the crushed cauliflower to a large mixing bowl. Add fish, eggs, shallots, salt, pepper, parsley and breadcrumbs. Using a spatula or wooden spoon stir well until you get a mixture that can easily molded. If the mixture is too sticky, add another tablespoon or two of breadcrumbs.
7. Pour in olive oil, give it another stir and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. 
8. Divide mixture into 8-10 equal parts. Shape and pat hockey puck-sized discs, about 3 inches in diameter and 3/4 inches in thickness. You can sprinkle more breadcrumbs on each patty if you like fish cakes to be extra crispy. 
9. Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is sizzling hot (easily slides across the pan) carefully place the fish cakes in the pan. Fry patties for 2 minutes, or until dark golden brown. Flip on the other side, cook for another 2 minutes. 
10. Transfer fish cakes from the frying pan to a paper towel lined plate or a wire rack. 
11. Serve fish cakes freshly fried and hot with a side of chili-lime sauce and a wedge of lemon or lime.

Notes

• Before placing the fish cakes in the frying pan make sure the oil is really hot, otherwise the fishcakes will be greasy and soggy. To check if the oil is hot enough drop a few breadcrumbs in the pan. If the oil starts sizzling, you're good to go.
• Don't overcrowd the pan with fish cakes. You risk reducing the heat in the pan to the point where the fish cakes will not brown and will become greasy. Instead, work in batches or 2-3 patties.
• The fish cakes will keep in the refrigerator for no more than a couple of days. They also freeze well and keep for about a month in the freezer.
• I recommend that you eat them right after frying them as they don't reheat well. 

Moroccan Chicken with Jalapeño Garlic Yogurt Dipping

Nothing says summer like grilling and a cold beer. Grilling meats ranks very high up on the "manliest things to do" list. It's such an ego boosting experience to serve your partner or friends a perfectly cooked piece of sizzling meat. If you think about the amount of effort that goes into grilling you realize that it's the best possible return on time and skills investment. I'm not to say that grilling is the most simple type of cooking, but in all honesty, I strongly believe that any man is able to do it. Especially if there is cold beer involved.

In my opinion, the secret to perfectly grilled meat lies in the marinade or rub that you used. This recipe calls for an exotic North African mix of fragrant spices like cumin, cinnamon and coriander that will elevate the bland flavor of the chicken breast. Chicken breast is actually one of my least favorite meats to cook. It's bland and hard to cook. If you undercook it, you risk getting yourself and your guests sick with salmonella. If you overcook  chicken breast, it gets dry and ends up tasting how I imagine a rubber shoe sole tastes.

Personally I prefer making these kabobs with boneless chicken thighs or lamb. If you decide to use lamb, you'll need to marinade it a bit longer, preferably overnight. As far as cooking is concerned, grilling lamb may take less than 15 minutes if you like it medium or rare. If you're afraid of the strong and bold gamey flavor, be assured that the fragrant spices in this recipe will neutralize it a bit.

I usually serve these kebobs with warm pita bread and a garlicky, slightly spicy yogurt sauce that contrasts well with the sweetness of the meat. Besseha!

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Moroccan Chicken with Jalapeño Garlic Yogurt Dipping

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Serves 2-3
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Inactive time: 2 hours

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Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless chicken, cut into 1-inch cubes (breast or thighs or lamb)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped
• 1/2 inch ginger, crushed and finely chopped
• 3 TBS olive oil
• 1/2 tsp  dried oregano
• 1 tsp coriander 
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili
• 1 tsp Spanish paprika
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, optional
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• coarse sea salt, to taste

Jalapeño Garlic Yogurt Dip

• 1 garlic clove, crushed and roughly chopped
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp sunflower seed oil (or peanut, canola, or vegetable)
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 medium lime, juiced (juice of 3 key limes or 2-3 TBS fresh lime juice)
• 2 tsp sunflower seed oil (or peanut, canola, or vegetable)
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 2-3 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

Instructions

1. Put the chicken chunks in a large ziplock bag or in a non-metalic medium sized bowl. Add lemon juice, garlic, ginger, olive oil, dried oregano, coriander, cumin, chili, Spanish paprika, smoked paprika, cinnamon, black pepper and salt. Mix them well, massaging the marinade into the meat. Put the ziplock in the refrigerator and let it rest for at least two hours. 
2. While the chicken is marinating, mix garlic, salt and one teaspoon oil with a pestle and mortar. Crush garlic and mix until you get a smooth garlic paste. Add  mustard, lime juice and remaining oil. Mix well. Move the paste into a small bowl and mix in yogurt, jalapeño, parsley, mint and black pepper. Give it one more stir, taste and adjust seasoning. Let the sauce cool in the refrigerator while you take care of the chicken.
3. Preheat grill to 450F (230C ) degrees. Prepare a few metal skewers or bamboo sticks. Remove chicken from the marinade. Discard the marinade. Thread an equal amount of chicken chunks on the skewers. Make sure you're not threading them too tightly, as they won't cook evenly and you don't want to serve uncooked chicken.
4. Place skewers on a hot grill and cook for 15-20 minutes turning them every now and then. If you have a thermometer make sure the inside temperature of the chicken reaches 162-165F (72-73C) degrees.
5. When done, remove the skewers from the grill, cover with aluminum foil and let them rest for 5-10 minutes.
6. Sprinkle with olive oil, parsley and coarse sea salt. Serve warm with garlic jalapeño sauce.

Notes

• If using bamboo skewers, make sure you soak them in cold water for at least half an hour. That will prevent the sticks from burning while grilling the meat. 

Fiery Jalapeño Salsa

About a month ago I posted my roasted vegetable salsa recipe where I made a promise to publish my variation of Tacodeli’s famous Doña salsa. It is an Austin staple that should be included in every Austin guidebook. Words can't describe how good it is. It has a pale green color and creamy texture that will make you think that it's some sort of avocado salsa. But when you taste it you will first feel a subtle hint of roasted garlic and then instantly the heat of the jalapeños will take over your senses. It feels like a heatwave just blew through your mouth.

The good part about the recipe that you're about to read is that you can dictate the heat level by controlling the quantity of the seeds and the white membrane inside the jalapeños. If it still comes out too spicy for your taste you can cut the heat by using sour cream or heavy cream. I know Tacodeli doesn't use any of that (theirs is vegan), but if you have no problems with dairy, feel free to add a bit anyway. It will make the salsa's texture even smoother.

I personally like spicy food. My dad always had fresh, dried or pickled hot peppers at home and he would use them in every dish he ate. He would cut a few slices into his chicken noodle soup, which I found pretty weird at first, but over time I started to copy him, trying to build up to his amount of peppers.

In about a month I will be taking a trip to Hungary for a conference. My sister still lives there and, although my parents live in Romania, we usually all meet in Budapest. When I asked my dad what to bring him, the first request he had was jalapeños. My dad is at the age where he finds relaxation in gardening, watching cooking, fishing and hunting TV shows. He doesn't want to get all pumped up by watching news about corruption, politics, scandals and all that jazz, so he switched over to more pleasant activities. He now spends his evening growing vegetables in my grandmother's garden. 

My dad has an impressive collection of hot peppers from all over the world. He just loves to grow them and gets really serious about it. He nurses the seeds indoors, then takes the seedlings out in the garden. He even drilled a water well and build an irrigation system for his garden. He sometimes even Skypes me in the middle of the night asking me to explain why his water pump doesn't work, like I am some sort of a water pump expert. 

This Doña salsa variation of mine is pretty similar in taste to the Tacodeli one. The texture is slightly different, but mostly because I didn't emulsify the sauce for long enough and with as much oil and because I like my salsas on the chunkier side, and not on the completely smooth side.

I'm sure that Tacodeli's salsa doesn't have as much lime juice and cumin as mine, and no cilantro and sour cream at all, but these are twists that make it more to my liking. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

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Fiery Jalapeño Salsa

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Yields 1 cup
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 pound jalapeño
• 1 bulb garlic
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 cup lukewarm water
• 1 medium lime, juiced
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 cup olive oil (or peanut or mix of both)
• 2 TBS sour cream, optional
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
• salt, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Wash jalapeño peppers, pat them dry and then put them in a medium bowl. Break up bulb of garlic by hitting the top of it with the heel of your hand. Toss the garlic cloves into the bowl of jalapeños and lightly sprinkle with olive oil and a pinch of salt.
2. Heat up your grill to medium. If using a stove-top cast iron grill, you need not worry about the garlic falling in between the racks. In case you're using an outdoors grill, use a layer of tin foil to prevent that from happening. Place the garlic on the colder side of the grill to avoid them from burning. Burned garlic tastes bitter.
3. Grill jalapeños until they are blistered and charred, about 15-20 minutes, turning them occasionally. The grilling time will vary based on the size of the peppers. Same rule applies for the garlic cloves- the smaller ones will cook faster.
4. Remove the vegetables from the grill starting with the garlic. The garlic should be soft when pierced with a knife. Set the garlic aside. Place the jalapeños in a container and cover for about 10 minutes. This will make your life easier when peeling them.
5. In the meantime, peel the grilled garlic and place the cloves into a food processor.
6. Start peeling the jalapeños, removing the skins with a knife. Use gloves. Trust me, you don't want to touch any part of your body after peeling jalapeños with your barehands. I learned it the hard way.
7. Remove the seeds and the white membrane that holds the seeds (placental tissue). If you like it really spicy leave a few in the mix.
8. Toss the peppers into the food processor along with the garlic. Add water, lime juice, salt, pepper and cumin and pulse. Slowly add oil to emulsify until the salsa becomes creamy and smooth. 
9. Add sour cream for extra creaminess. I use more sour cream when the salsa comes out really hot and I want to cut the heat a bit. Sprinkle cilantro on top, or mix it in the salsa. 
10. Store the salsa in a jar in the fridge. The texture will change a bit when cooled, but you can fix that by adding a tablespoon of warm water and shaking

Roasted Vegetable Salsa

I love Mexican cuisine and all of its American variations: Tex-Mex, New Mexican, Rancho, etc. I can't resist the bold flavors that fresh ingredients bring into these dishes, the a mix of hearty meats and cheeses with all kinds of sauces and vegetables.

In certain ways the abundance of flavors, textures and spices remind me of Eastern European cooking.  In Romania we have a spread called zacusca which has a bunch of variations in the Balkans like ajvar, ljutenica or pindjur. All of them are vegetable-based with ingredients like onions, peppers and tomatoes, and sometimes aubergines, mushrooms and beans. If you think about Mexican salsas, they are not that different ingredients-wise. One thing that's not common between the two is that the salsas are served fresh, whereas the relishes/spreads in the Eastern European cuisine are preserved. 

What blows my mind is that, even though the two cultures are so different and the two regions are so far away from each other, there are still similarities when it comes to flavors and ingredients.

I find salsa to be one of the most important ingredients in Mexican food. A good salsa has the ability to make a decent dish amazing. It's the ingredient that will take your taco or burrito game to the next level. What's amazing about them is how easily they can be made. If you read my previous blog post, I shared my Blackened Fish Taco recipe. That taco is marvelous as is, but if you add a spoon of this salsa or my other favorite, the TacoDeli-inspired Doña salsa (recipe to come), I guarantee that your tasting taste buds will have an orgasm.

This salsa recipe is my take on a traditional charred vegetable salsa. I've tried several other combinations and this is the best I could come up with. I added a little twist by grilling the lime and adding a bit of cumin, but the main ingredients are the traditional onions, peppers and tomatoes. 

My version is on the milder side of the spectrum. I use poblano and jalapeño peppers instead of serranos and I usually remove the seeds and most of the white membrane that holds the seeds (placental tissue). That's not because I don’t like heat, but because it’s a good balance to my more fiery salsa mentioned above. You can use it for your tacos, burritos, on your breakfast eggs or as a dip with warm corn tortilla chips. No matter how you eat it, this salsa is going to make your food taste better. 

Enjoy!

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Roasted vegetable salsa

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Yields 2-3 cups
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
 

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Ingredients

• 2 large tomatoes, halved
• 1 large red onion, halved
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, halved
• 2 poblano peppers, halved and deseeded
• 1 jalapeño, halved and deseeded
• 1 bulb garlic, halved
• 1 lime, halved
• 2 tsp olive oil, drizzled
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 lime, juiced (about 1-2 TBS fresh lime juice)
• 1/2 tsp cumin, ground
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly cracked
• salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. If you're using your oven pre-heat it to 425F (220C) degrees. 
2. Place the tomatoes, onions, poblano and jalapeño peppers, garlic and lime halves in a medium bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. The amount of salt shouldn't matter at this point so don't sweat too much over it.
3. Transfer the vegetables to the grill. If you're roasting them in the oven, transfer them to a baking tray that's lined with aluminum foil. 
4. Grill until the veggies are blistered and charred, about 10-15 minutes, turning them occasionally.
5. Remove the vegetables from the grill. Start with the tomatoes as they cook faster. If you're broiling them in the oven, jut take the tray out and let them cool for a bit. 
6. Once the veggies are cooled down, press the garlic out of its shell, remove the skins of the tomatoes and peppers, clean the peel off the onions and gently squeeze the charred limes into the food processor. Make sure that only the juice gets out of the lime because the pulp and the white membrane is going to make your salsa bitter.
7. Transfer the vegetables and juices to a food processor, add the cilantro and pulse until you reach your preferred level of chunkiness. Add the lime juice, cumin, black pepper and salt to taste and pulse one more time to mix in the spices.
8. Transfer to a mason jar and refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving. If properly cooled, it will stays good for about 10 days.