Salsa has become a modern American cooking staple. But it might surprise you to know that salsa has been a California tradition since the late 1800s. As Jacqueline Higuera McMahan pointed out in "California Rancho Cooking" (The Olive Press, 1988), it was once known as sarsa and was made from fresh ingredients grown on ranchos. It was served at the table to accompany barbecued meats, to spoon over beans and to spread over big hunks of French bread.
These days, salsa is wide open to the cook's creativity. A number of playful and tasty interpretations are found in Kathy Casey's latest book, "Sips and Apps: Classic and Contemporary Recipes for Cocktails and Appetizers" (Chronicle Books, $19.95). Her Greek salsa combines the usual tomato salsa ingredients with additions such as pickled hot chile peppers, kalamata olives and crumbled feta cheese.
Crispy pita chips are just right for scooping up the colorful relish. This salsa can be made for a crowd by multiplying the ingredients. It's best to put this together just before serving.
Salsa is more than just a dip; it's also a way to heighten simple grilled fish, poultry, meat, and vegetables, so think of complementary flavors. Salsa can be made with a vast array of fruits and vegetables. Here are a few other ideas to get you thinking:
• Cucumbers or avocados combined with fresh tomato salsa
• Oranges and grapefruit with green onions, fresh chiles and fresh mint
• Blood oranges and green or black olives with fresh lemon juice
• Mixed fresh and dried chilies with tomatoes, red onions, vinegar and cilantro
• Grilled corn, red onion and tomato salsa
• Pineapple-peach salsa with balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, fresh chiles and orange zest
• Corn, black bean, garlic and roasted red bell pepper salsa
• Yellow and red cherry tomato salsa with roasted red and yellow bell peppers, fresh basil, olive oil and lemon juice
This recipe is from "Sips and Apps: Classic and Contemporary Recipes for Cocktails and Appetizers," by Kathy Casey. The salsa ingredients can be prepared a day in advance, refrigerated separately, then combined right before serving.
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups finely diced ripe plum tomato (about 3 tomatoes)
• 3/4 cup finely diced, peeled, and seeded cucumber (about 1/2 cucumber)
• 1/4 cup minced red onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
• 1 small sweet yellow bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
• 1 cup (about 4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
• 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, finely chopped
• 2 to 3 pickled hot cherry peppers, stemmed and minced
Combine the salsa ingredients in a bowl and mix gently. Serve immediately with the pita crisps.
Makes 4 cups
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