Fire up grill, salsa for Fourth of July

(Grill extra corn when you make it to pop in the freezer for winter salsa)

Salsa is the quintessential condiment, appetizer, meal-in-a-bowl that is perfect for any holiday, celebration or everyday meal.
And there is a slew of recipes for making it.

I love using grilled corn for salsa, adding black beans for substance and protein, and the ubiquitous tomato, onion, jalapeno and fresh coriander for the base flavor.

(Grilling brings out the natural sweetness in corn, imparting a smoky flavor)

Pretty soon, local corn will be in season — if you're lucky, and some local farms have had a good season, you can get valley corn around the Fourth of July (I plan on checking out some farmers markets this weekend to see if I can find some!)

I will also plan on grilling extra ears to cut off the cob and freeze for winter use. I have to remind myself to do that each time I make corn on the grill. If you make a couple extra, it's hardly any extra work, and as you sit feeling filled and satisfied after dinner, you can easily cut the kernels from the cob and pop them in a bag to freeze. A simple and rewarding task, especially when local corn is no longer in season and you get a craving for black bean salsa, or just a side of steamed corn with butter.


Here's an easy recipe for Black Bean Salsa you can prepare when you're sitting outside, firing up the grill for the Fourth of July.

(You could also grill the peppers and onion for this recipe, which would add even more smoky flavor to the salsa)

Black Bean Salsa

1. 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
2. 1 small red onion, diced
3. 2 large ripe tomatoes, diced
   
4. 4 or 5 fresh jalapeno peppers, more or less according to taste
5. 2 to 3 ears of grilled corn, kernels scraped from cob
6. 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
7. 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
8. handful of fresh coriander, chopped
9. juice of 1 lime
10. splash of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and Tamari
11. salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl; mix well. Let sit, covered in fridge for a couple of hours for flavors to meld, or dive right in after it's made — it's foolproof!

This is one recipe that is a staple of summer get-togethers, served with good organic corn chips.

Happy Fourth of July!