Roasted jalapeno salsa

Dawn Morin-Boucher, Free Press contributor   –   Burlington Free Press

My husband Dan used to be a serious meat-and-potatoes man.  He’d happily eat them every day, alternating frozen peas and canned corn niblets to shake things up.

Over the years, I’ve tried to vary the routine with raw and cooked fresh veggies, forages — things we’ve never even thought of eating (like pigeon).

But, I can’t change his cravings.

This salsa came about as the accompaniment for yet another grilled strip steak.

It was spicy and garlicky, with a lingering floral finish from Caledonia Spirits’ honey.  A perfect pairing for beef.

It won’t win any beauty contests, but all the ingredients are simply tossed into a blender and wham-o – done!

I love that!

I wanted to serve them as a salad, so I refrigerated both.

The steak disappeared.

I grilled another, leaving Alice in Wonderland style instructions: “Do Not Eat This!”

He suggested I could simply cook another … but we’d still be playing that game if I had bought in.

Farmer/cheesemaker/writer Dawn Morin-Boucher resides at the Boucher Family Farm in Highgate Center. Blog: boucherfamily farm.blogspot.com. Email: boucherfarm@comcast.net.

Roasted Jalapeno Salsa

Makes  1 ½ to 2 cups

1 large sweet onion

8 cloves of garlic

3 grilled jalapenos; skin, seeds, stem removed

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon raw honey (I used Caledonia Spirits honey)

¼ teaspoon salt

Whiz all ingredients in a blender.  Adjust salt to taste.

Let stand 40 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.

Can also be used as the base for curries.