I think of this salsa as Mexico in a bowl, the profound culinary flavours of the country embodied here in bursts of sharp purple onion, sweet vine-ripened tomatoes, the tangy jolt of lime juice, spicy peppers with a big kick and the floral flourish of cilantro. It is the cohabitation of these elements that really speaks deeply of Mexican tastes, the flavours I crave when I think of sun-drenched, colourful foods from that sun-drenched, colourful country.

Some salsas are cooked, deep and dark, smooth and savoury. This is a fresh salsa, chunky and robust, with nothing gentle or delicate about it. It is best eaten soon after it is prepared, where the sparkle of ingredients remains bright and inviting. Think of this salsa as more of a salad, a condiment, than a sauce, though it is intensely wonderful liberally spooned over grilled chicken in a sauce-like manner. I enjoy this salsa as a juicy side to fried eggs or a simmering bowl of hot polenta. It is great with BBQ salmon, stuffed into corn tortillas, on nachos or slathered on a juicy steak. When your mouth needs a journey to somewhere tantalizingly spicy, take it to this tomato-laden condiment for a dose of Mexican fun. You will never want to eat grocery store salsa again after a fling with this flavourful, flirty dish.

Fresh Tomato Salsa

4 ripe tomatoes, diced; 1-2 jalapeno peppers, depending on how hot you like things, seeds and ribs removed, diced; 1/4 cup diced Spanish onion; 2 cloves garlic, crushed; 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro; juice of 1/2 a lime; pinch of powdered cumin, optional; salt and pepper to taste; pinch of sugar.

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, jalapenos and onion. Add in crushed garlic, lime juice, cumin, salt, pepper and sugar. Mix and taste. Adjust seasoning if needed. Best eaten immediately, as the tomatoes start to leech liquid if left too long. If this does happen, simply drain off the water, stir the salsa and serve. It will still taste great for a few hours.

Enjoy the harvest of summer with salsa and more market fresh foods:

Photo courtesy of www.lottieanddoof.com

If you can boil water, you can create colourful, cool frozen treats to satisfy your hot weather cravings. With fun molds available in a variety of shapes and sizes, a whole array of popsicle forms and flavours awaits you.

The building block of paletas, a Spanish term for frozen treats on a stick, is a sugar syrup. It is this easy to prepare: place 1/2 cup of sugar and 3/4 cup of cold water in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Set aside and cool completely. Makes 1 cup.

The second essential ingredient in popsicle making is fruit. I have honeydew melon versions for you, blackberry lemonade, strawberry/cranberry and sour cream cherry paletas to share with you. Each one showcases jewel-like colours and deeply satisfying natural flavours, unlike the icky-sticky fake pops you buy at the supermarket. Thanks to Bon Appetit magazine for these great ideas.

Layered Melon, Lime and Lemongrass Paletas

1 cup sugar syrup; 3 stalks lemongrass, roughly chopped; 1/3 cup lime juice; 300g chopped ripe honeydew melon.

Place half of sugar syrup and lemongrass in a small saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Strain and allow to cool. Add lime juice and stir. Set aside. Place remaining sugar syrup and melon in a blender and process until smooth. Divide melon mixture between 8 x 1/3 cup ice block molds, insert stick and freeze for 2 hours. Pour the lemongrass mixture over the frozen melon mixture and freeze for a further 3 hours. Makes 8.

Blackberry Lemon Paletas

1 cup sugar syrup; 1+1/2 cups lemonade; 2 tbsp. lemon juice; 140g blackberries.

Pour the sugar syrup, lemonade and lemon juice into a large jug and stir. Divide berries between 8 x 1/3 cup capacity ice block molds. Pour the lemonade mixture over the blackberries, insert stick and freeze for 4 hours. Makes 8.

Strawberry and Cranberry Paletas

1 cup sugar syrup; 1+1/3 cups cranberry juice; 8 strawberries, sliced.

Pour sugar syrup and cranberry juice into a large jug and stir. Pour half the cranberry mixture into 8 x 1/3 cup capacity ice block molds. Place 2 strawberry slices into each mold, insert sticks and freeze for 4 hours. Pour remaining cranberry syrup into molds. Divide remaining strawberry slices between molds and freeze for a further 4 hours. Makes 8.

And, now, for the adults. . . .

Sour Cream, Cherry, and Tequila Paletas (recipe by Fany Gerson)

8 ounces stemmed and pitted cherries, fresh or frozen; 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar; 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice; 2 tablespoons silver or blanco tequila; 1+1/2 cups whole milk; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1+1/2 cups sour cream.

Put the cherries in a nonreactive saucepan with the confectioners’ sugar and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil and the sugar has dissolved. Lower the heat, stir in the lemon juice, and simmer, stirring often, until the syrup has thickened and has a consistency like maple syrup. Remove from the heat, stir in the tequila, and refrigerate until completely chilled.

Drain the cherries, reserving the liquid for another use (soda!). Combine the milk, granulated sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. If using vanilla bean, scrape the seeds into the mixture, then add the pod. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture just comes to a boil.

Remove from the heat, add the sour cream, and stir with a whisk until completely smooth. If using vanilla extract, stir it in at this point. Let cool slightly, then discard the vanilla bean and refrigerate the mixture until completely chilled.

Put a bit of the sour cream mixture into each of your molds, to a height of about 1 inch. Freeze until the mixture begins to set, about 30 minutes. Divide the drained cherries among the molds, then pour in the remaining sour cream mixture, dividing it evenly among the molds.

Freeze until solid.

Buzz some fruit into a sweet slurry, freeze and lick, with our support:

Word is out that authentic guacamole does not, in fact, contain garlic. Who knew? My chunky version usually does feature a clove or two but I am keen to simplify the flavours and let the lime and jalapenos sing out more. Garlic fiend that I am, even I will agree that it can overpower.

My epiphany was prompted by the food blog Amateur Gourmet's story about authentic guacamole. Apparently the blogger has a friend Mark from New Mexico and Mark says he knows about guacamole. That's authoritative enough for me! Whoever Mark is, his advice is to use these and only these ingredients: avocados, lime juice, jalapenos, tomatoes, cilantro and salt and pepper. So, not only no garlic, but no chile powder or cumin either. I am known in some circles for my garlic/chile/cumin-laden gaucamole and my friends and family will be in for a change next time I dish this out. With the velvety rich delivery system of mashed avocado, I want to emphasize it and bring it to life with its long-standing friends lime, jalapenos and cilantro. It seems like a well-advised plan.

Mark's Authentic Guacamole adapted from www.amateurgourmet.com
Serves 4 to 6

4 to 6 ripe Haas avocados (they should have mostly brown skin); 1 small red onion, chopped; 1 small tomato, diced; 1 large jalapeño, stemmed and seeded and finely diced; 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish; Juice from 1 lime, plus more as necessary; Salt, to taste; Tortilla chips (for serving).

Slice your avocados in half vertically, circling your knife around the pit. Separate the two halves and then smack your knife into the hard pit (this is the best way to remove it.) Use a paper towel or a dish towel to yank it off your knife (it's a good way to cut yourself, otherwise.) Use a spoon to cleanly scoop the avocado flesh into a large bowl. Repeat with the rest of the avocados.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and begin to mash it all together with a fork. The most essential part is that you break down the avocados into a pulp, working the jalapeno, onion and cilantro into the mass as you do so. You'll know your done when there are no hard bits of avocado remaining.

Taste and adjust for salt and lime juice. When it's delicious, sprinkle some more cilantro to garnish and serve with a big bag of sturdy, high-quality tortilla chips for scooping. Great with icy beer.

And with tacos!