Tastes Like College: Salsa

For me, there isn't much that can evoke college memories quite as quickly as food. Some foods have a distinct smell or taste, and with one bite I'm back in my first apartment's little kitchen, laughing with friends and making a mess, and eating my body weight in chips.

My friend Meg used to make salsa. This salsa was an old family recipe (her family had lots of them, and they were always delicious). We could almost literally inhale an entire bowl of this stuff in one evening. It was fantastic.

At some point, my roommate started making it too, and she started playing around with the recipe hoping to make it a little healthier. Once she had perfected her version, we started making salsa for every party we went to or hosted.

It had been about two years since I made this crack salsa. A church potluck sounded like the perfect excuse to get my fix and introduce everyone to brilliance in a bowl.

Recipe:
1/4 c. olive oil
1 can Mexicorn
1 can black beans
1/2 carton grape tomatoes
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 package green onions
1/2 red onion
3/4 c. lime juice
1/2 bunch cilantro, or to taste.
2-3 jalapeños (optional)
tortilla chips (I use Tostitos Scoops, because you can get more salsa in each bite!)

Chop tomatoes, green onions, red onion, cilantro and jalapeños. (Or, go the easy route and put them in a food processor. It tastes the same, but chopping them looks prettier.) Mix all ingredients except tortilla chips together in a large bowl. Cover and chill at least two hours. Stir and serve with chips. Eat every last bite.

Do you tweak recipes or follow them to the letter? What foods bring back memories for you?