Harvest Salsa

Well, we're heading into our third week of homeschooling already!  I love spending the extra time with my little sous chef and also the freedom that we have in our schedule.  Fall is my favorite season for so many reasons, but I have a feeling that homeschooling is going to top my list this year!  Speaking of fall, it's not quite here yet, but it sure has felt like it for some time now.  This has got to be the mildest (and wettest) summer that I can remember!  I've only had to water my garden three or four times this year because of how much rain we've had!  Not that I'm complaining.  My garden is bursting at the seams, and I've been trying my best to not waste anything and use the things that I have in excess in creative ways.  Last week, I made some Cinnamon White Chocolate and Zucchini Cookies, and they were ahhhmazing!  Unfortunately, they didn't last long enough for me to blog about them.

This week, I found myself with a lot of extra corn and tomatoes, so I decided to make a salsa to go along with blackened chicken and rice for dinner.  This salsa is bright, refreshing, and uses ingredients straight from the garden.  While the avocado is optional, it really adds a lovely creamy contrast to the crunchy texture of the salsa.  Serve it with tortilla chips, chicken, beef, or seafood!



Ingredients:

• 3 c corn
• 1 red or green bell pepper, diced 
• 1/2 c tomato, diced
• 1/4 c onion, diced
• 2 avocados, pitted and diced (optional)
• 1/4 c olive oil 
• 2 tbsp lime juice (or lemon juice) 
• Zest from 1 lime 
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped  
• 3 large garlic cloves, finely minced 
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 
• Pinch of sugar 
• Pepper, to taste 
• Salt, to taste 

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Cover and allow to chill for at least 1 hour before serving.  

Enjoy!