I’m beginning to think that a lot of the food I make comes purely from inspiration.  It’s either that or I’m really a sucker for marketing.  I was walking past a giant display of flat screen televisions and Ratatouille was playing.  In terms of Pixar flicks, Ratatouille ranks up there with Incredibles and Toy Story.  Sorry but Wall-e disappointed me; however, I did manage to get a well-rested sleep in a theater.

Going back to Ratatouille.  I thought to myself, “If a rat can do it, so can I!”  I researched recipes all over the place and no one really seemed to have a standard.  Thomas Keller’s French Laundry and his technique of making ratatouille inspired the movie.  So I tried it out, just like Remy did…or at least a variation of it.  I took all the ingredients that I found on all the ratatouille recipes on the internet, and removed some like squash florets to make my recipe.

Ingredients
Squash
Zucchini
Tomatoes
Eggplant
1 can tomato sauce
Basil
Oregano
Cumin

Directions

1. Slice the squash, zucchini, tomatoes, and eggplant into thin slices.  Use a mandolin if you have one.
2. Arrange them in a pie dish.
3. Bake for 30 minutes in a 400-degree oven.
4. In a separate pan, add the tomato sauce, basil, oregano, and cumin.
5. Cook over medium heat and reduce the liquid by 50%.
6. Pour liquid over vegetables.

Disclaimer:  I didn’t put exact amounts for the ingredients because I winged it.  This was a lesson where I should of documented my steps.  Contact me if you want more exacts.  I’ll try to duplicate the recipe again.

I’m not sure why I’ve never tried this recipe out while I was on island full of mangos.  I’ve been to a couple of restaurants that are serve mango salsa.  After that, I went on a salsa quest.

After tasting a couple of restaurant salsas, I looked for a recipe of my own.

My first search gave me this recipe:

Mango Salsa Recipe

Ingredients

1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and diced (about 1 1/2 cup) (See: How to Cut a Mango)

1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped

1 Jalapeño chile, minced (include ribs and seeds for a hotter taste if desired)

1 small cucumber, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)

3 Tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

3 Tbsp fresh lime juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Also good with diced red bell pepper and jicama.

Method

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If the salsa ends up being a little too hot or acidic for your taste, you can temper it by adding some diced avocado.

I have a lot of friends who aren’t into cilantro.  I must agree that cilantro is an acquired taste that happens over time.  However, some people say it’s not salsa if there isn’t any cilantro.  So began my quest to find out what makes a salsa.

Here’s the definition of salsa: a hot sauce containing chilies or a spicy sauce of tomatoes, onions, and hot peppers.

The above recipe has some of the flavors according to the definition minus the tomatoes.  Does a mango match the acidity levels of a tomato?  I think so. Both of them are fruits that contain some kind of acid.  After doing some research, I found out that there are pH levels around 4-5 for tomatoes and 3-4 for mangoes.  More research shows that after adding lemon to tomatoes it reduces the pH level by 1 point.  Technically, they are pretty close.

The only difference is how to deal with the sweetness that comes from the mango.  I found another recipe that uses green mango:

Canning Salsa: Mango Salsa

Yield: 6 to 8 pints

• 6 cups diced unripe mango (about 3 to 4 large, hard green mangoes)

• 1½ cups diced red bell pepper

• ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion

• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

• 2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger

• 1 cup light brown sugar

• 1¼ cups cider vinegar (5 percent)

• ½ cup water

Method: Wash and rinse canning jars; keep hot until ready to use. Prepare lids according to manufacturer’s directions.

Wash all produce well. Peel and chop mango into ½-inch cubes. Dice bell pepper into ½-inch pieces. Finely chop yellow onions.

Hot Pack: Combine all ingredients in an 8-quart Dutch oven or stockpot. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce to simmering, and simmer 5 minutes. Fill hot solids into clean, hot half-pint jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Cover with hot liquid, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened, clean paper towel; apply two-piece metal canning lids.

Recommended process time for Mango Salsa in a boiling water canner.
Canning Salsa		Process Time at Altitudes of
Style of Pack	Jar Size	0 – 1,000 ft	1,001 – 6,000 ft	Above 6,000 ft
Hot	Pints	10 Minutes	15 Minutes	20 Minutes

IMPORTANT: The only changes you can safely make in this salsa recipe are to substitute bottled lemon juice for the vinegar and to change the amount of pepper and salt. Do not alter the proportions of vegetables to acid and tomatoes because it might make the salsa unsafe.

But canning?  I tried it without canning and it was pretty bad.  I did like the flavor of the garlic.  Then I tried it with ripe mango.  Garlic and sweet mango don’t mix.  My biggest thing about this recipe was the lack of “fire” in the flavor.  When I think of salsa, I usually think of the dance which is very spicy on it’s own.

I was craving a mango salsa that didn’t require canning and used ripe mangos.  After playing around with different recipes I settled on this one.

Edel’s Mango Salsa Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and diced
• 1 green onion, finely chopped
• 1 Jalapeño chile, minced (include ribs and seeds for a hotter taste if desired)
• ½ cup diced red bell pepper
• 1 Tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• ½ clove of garlic, finely chopped
• Juice from a lime
• Juice from a lemon
• Hawaiian sea salt and white pepper to taste
• Tabasco to taste

Method
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and Tabasco.  Let is soak for at least 2 hours.