Roasted Corn Salsa

This is an especially good salsa for a number of reasons. It tastes great, it's easy to prepare, its one of the prettiest salsas around and most of your friends and guests have never even heard of it, much less eaten it. They will think you are a culinary genius..... you are not obliged to tell them just how easy it is to make. As a matter of fact I would make up a more exciting name for the salsa and tell them it's an old family recipe that your Great Uncle Vladimir brought over from the Ukraine. What do they know? Call it 'Uncle Vlad's Mesquite Grilled Sonoma County Sweet Corn with Roasted Red Pepper and Hot Smoked Chipotle Chile Salsa' and wait for the compliments. This salsa goes especially well with BBQed Chicken and Pork and it's dynamite with almost anything breaded - fish especially. Most all of the other salsas I have dealt with so far are used as a dip or as a condiment for the main dishes. This Roasted Corn Salsa can actually be used as a main ingredient in lots of Mexican dishes. I like to make quesadillas using just the salsa and a little bit of cheese - it's really good with some crumbled Blue cheese, and the sound of something like "Bavarian Blue Cheese and Roasted Corn Quesadillas with Pan Roasted Sweet Red Peppers and Cilantro Butter" will make everyone think that you went to some yuppie culinary school. Remember that when you make quesadillas to go easy on the cheese. It's very easy to turn them into a big gooey mess. This salsa is also great in Tacos or Enchiladas with a little cheese and some left-over chicken or pork. You can also make some great vegetarian Mushroom and roasted corn quesadillas or Tacos. I'm going to give you the recipe for the 'Real Deal' first and then the recipe for one that is just as pretty and almost as tasty but almost no work to make.

PARTS LIST

2 Ears of Corn....... If you're lucky enough to live somewhere with a produce market that sells a really good sweet white corn - buy it.

1 Red Bell Pepper....... roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped.

2 Cloves of Garlic....... or more, or less depending on how you feel about garlic. Chopped.

1 Chipotle Chile....... One chile will be enough to give you the smoky taste we want but it won't have much bite to it. Feel free to put in more chiles if you want it smokier and hotter.

Some Cilantro....... Chopped. If you are one of those who hates the taste of cilantro use green onions - tastes different but it's just as good.

LET'S DO IT!!

Shuck the corn and remove any silk. If you have a barbecue grill going with some nice mesquite wood - brush the corn with a little oil or butter and put it on the grill. When the corn starts to show some charring, turn it over and do the other side. Let it cool. If you don't have the barbecue fired up just put the whole shucked ears in a frying pan with almost no oil and cook them hot until they start showing some color turning them to cook on all sides. Or you can roast it in the oven with the outer leaves still on. It really doesn't matter very much. The easiest way is in a pan on top of the stove and I can guarantee you that no one will know the difference. Roast and peel the red pepper. If you have a gas stove the easiest way to do this is to hold the pepper by the stem over the open flame turning it until the skin is completely blackened, Don't worry, the pepper inside will not be burnt. When the pepper looks like it is completely ruined, wrap it in a kitchen towel or put it in a paper bag or put it in a bowl covered with some plastic wrap to let it steam until it is cool. When it is cooled peel the blackened skin off (I do this in the sink under running water or in bowl of water). Remove the seeds from the pepper and chop it. I do it into thin strips about an inch long but you can do it any damn way you want. Now about the Chipotle chiles. I haven't yet dealt with dried chiles in my newsletter - I promise I will soon - so I'm suggesting that you just use canned 'Chiles Chipotle en Adobo'. Finely chop one or two of the chiles. If you already know how to deal with dried chipotle chiles go ahead and rehydrate a couple and save the water. With your good sharp kitchen knife strip the kernels from the corn into a bowl - trying to get all of the corn and none of the cob. Add the chopped Chipotle chile and some of the Adobo liquid from the can. Add the garlic and the chopped pepper - stir . The chances are pretty good that the salsa will be a little too dry - if so, add some more liquid from the can or some water. I like a little liquid in the bottom of the salsa so when it starts to look dry I can give it a stir and make it all shiny and pretty again. Taste the salsa - you may want to add a little salt but probably not. If you want it more garlicky add some more garlic. If you want it hotter, some more chiles. Look at it. It's almost beautiful - all it needs is some green. Add the cilantro or green onions and..... bingo, you've done it again. Incidentally, if you go easy on the chipotles and maybe add some chopped roasted mild green chiles or green bell pepper, this makes a great vegetable side dish.