Salsa cruda, or "pico de gallo;" my recipe seems to be the favorite of everyone who likes fresh, raw, salsa with lots of flavor, that is savory, "earthy," as well as healthy.

Special tools: Sharp knife, potato masher if avocado is used
Preparation time: About 20 minutes
Cooking time: None; serve at room temperature or, better yet, chill for a couple of hours
Yield: 6 generous servings

1 pound firm-ripe tomatoes, preferably Roma, coarsely chopped and diced
5 cloves of garlic, skinned, diced and chopped into very small pieces
2 jalapeno peppers or 1 anaheim chile pepper, seeded, stemmed; veins removed, then diced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1/2 medium onion, preferably white, diced; you can substitute any variety of onion
1/4 cup of fresh radishes, diced; optional
1/4 cut fresh mashed avocado, preferably Hass, optional
1 tablespoon olive oil, or salad oil
Juice of 1 lime, optional
1 tablespoon bacon bits, optional, but highly recommended
Salt to taste, preferably kosher or sea salt; I usually add about 1/2 teaspoon

Using a sharp knife, dice the tomatoes and finely chop the fresh cilantro. Drain liquid from the tomatoes and discard seeds. Set aside. Mince the peppers, garlic, radishes (if used,) and onion. Combine to a nonmetallic bowl, then add olive oil and lime juice, if used. Season to taste with salt. Stir, and allow all ingredients to merge for 30 minutes before serving.

Note: If avocado is to be used, it should be mashed and added when all of the other ingredients are combined.

If this salsa is to used as a garnish for tacos, beans, main dishes or in place of salad, it should be cut up coarsely. If it is going to be used as a dip, for tortilla chips, the ingredients should be diced very fine.

Photos: A bowl of my salsa cruda, ready to use as a condiment. Note that this is coarsly chopped, which is good for a condiment. Chop it finer, or puree in a blender if you want to use it as a dip.

Freshness is the key to the flavor, especially in the tomatoes. Although almost any fresh tomato is acceptable, I highly recommend the Roma variety, and I prefer them firm, hard and almost pink.

This salsa does not keep very well, so plan to make it only a couple of hours before you plan to serve it.

At pot lucks and family get-togethers, this salsa is my number one item on the "most requested dish" list. There are endless variations, so feel free to experiment. This is one salsa that you can't go wrong with, no matter what the occasion. You can use this salsa in place of traditional salad, or use it to garnish just about anything. Or, if diced finely or it makes the best dip you'll ever taste for tortilla chips.

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