"the smell from a grill could spark up nostalgia"

the food: Peach Salsa 
the song:"Summertime" Will Smith 

I'm with the Fresh Prince on this one...for me, summertime equals happy. I'm getting good and settled into July, and thanks to a nice rain that stayed with us for a whole week, the heat hasn't been unbearable. The rain cleared up just in time for fireworks on the 4th, so we were able to go out and celebrate with our best friend Will's family, which is one of my favorite another-person's-family traditions. I didn't take many pictures, so allow me to paint one for you: amazing food, dogs everywhere, swimming in the stock tank, good people, and (I'm guessing) more fireworks than the official Dripping Springs' city display. 

This summer, even though I have the time, I find myself cooking less. I like keeping my options open in case summer fun pops up...swimming at dusk, impromptu dinner at a friend's house, *just one more* beer with my friends, some good cheese and bubbly wine in the backyard. Summer is the time for openness. 

Summer food is no different. The farmer's market is overflowing with temptations to make you forget your menu plan. When the husband and I went this weekend (beginning of my birthday week!) we sampled watermelon, ogled blackberries, and floated through the rows of tomatoes, squash, sweet peppers, and onions. What has inspired me to cook lately is not my potential creations, but garden creations. Summer vegetables are so good on their own they really don't need much help from me. 

I made this peach salsa for the 4th of July exclusively from Farmer's Market goods, peppers grown in my yard, and a squeeze of a Texas mandarins from HEB. Freshness is the key. All these ingredients need is someone to cut 'em up- if the ingredients are fresh and vibrant, the flavor happens effortlessly.

I highly recommend blue corn tortilla chips for the beautiful contrast of color. You can adjust the heat by leaving pepper seeds in, or taking them out all together. The salsa would also be good with cilantro. But not everyone likes cilantro like I do (some people have a genetic trait that causes it to taste bad), so I left it out of this salsa. I found it plenty flavorful just like this...juicy and fresh for a beautiful summer day. We're having this salsa again tonight with tempeh fajitas and a pint of Festina Peche. Mmmm. Sounds like summer to me.

Peach Salsa
adapted from Chow

3 medium peaches, small diced

1-2 medium tomatoes, small diced

1/2 medium sweet onion, minced (I used a 1015 onion from the market)

1-2 peppers of your choice, minced (jalapeno, habanerro, anaheim, whatever you like)

squeeze from 1/2 orange 

Combine peaches, tomatoes, onion, pepper and orange juice in a medium mixing bowl. Gently toss and season well with salt. Let sit at least 20 minutes before enjoying with tortilla chips.

~eeg