Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Salsa Contest in Spanish Class


I've mentioned on here before that my life sometimes takes unexpected turns, and the pace sometimes feels like someone hit fast forward on the remote. I realize that this comes with owning a dog and having a teenager in the house! It makes life interesting. Yesterday was just another one of those "fast forward" moments.

It was early morning, and I was snuggled up against Hubby in a warm cocoon of blankets when I felt a shadowy figure looming over our bed. In a low whisper, someone said,"Mom, where are the tomatoes? Do we have any tomatoes?!" I looked up through half-opened lids to see our lanky 15-year-old with a harried look on his face. I was only in a half-awake state, but still aware that he doesn't eat tomatoes for breakfast. "There may be one in the crisper", I mumbled. I could tell that I was not being helpful enough, "I need a bunch to make salsa...today's the salsa tasting contest in my Spanish class!" he says. And, I'm still curled up contemplating just how important this is at 6:45 in the morning when he says the phrase that makes moms spring into action... "It's for a grade!"

(Now here's the "Fast Forward" part...)

I'm up, I'm up! and clothes thrown on in seconds. A comb goes through the hair, dab face with cold water, quick once-through with toothbrush and we have "lift-off"! As I yell, "You start chopping onions and get everything else ready...go clip some cilantro out back...and don't forget to wash it well... " I head out the door. I'm sure that's how all troop commanders do it; yell orders as they grab for their purse and car keys. I rev up the mini van and off I go.

At Country Mart, I cross the parking lot like a guided missile-I'm a mom on a mission! As I make it through the front door, fate smiles in my direction; tomatoes on-the-vine are one of the specials this week and so are bell peppers. I grab what I need and head for the register. The woman working is my favorite check-out person and she's used to me shopping there. This is good... and Bad! She looks at me (who is without make-up), raises an eyebrow, looks at the bag of tomatoes and one bell pepper, raises her wrist to look at her watch, and says, "What are you doing?!"
"My 15-year-old son has to make salsa for Spanish class...for a grade!" came spilling out like a confession. She just smiles and says, "Gotcha!" She's in my age bracket, has raised teenagers, and needs no further explanation; I love talking with women. They always "get it"!

I got home to find a bowl of chopped ingredients and the hulls of an already-squeezed lime. Ben is on top of things! I hand him the tomatoes so he can finish practicing his knife skills. Whew! I need my glass of Cranergy and a bagel before we start the school drop-off trip!
It was his final day before summer vacation. Fantastico!



I thought you might want the recipe for the salsa:


Ben's Salsa

4 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/2 of a large onion (we used a red onion),chopped
1/2 of a large bell pepper, chopped fine
1/3 C pickled jalapenos, chopped fine
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
Mix all together. Squeeze juice of 1 fresh lime over all and mix. Then add to taste: salt, jalapeno juice, about a TBSP of cider vinegar, more lime juice. Chill. Serve w/ Toastito Scoops.

1 comment:

  1. You post made me laugh! My oldest is 13, youngest 3, and I've been thinking that the I-have-to-bring-something-today morning drama would die down as they got older. Now I know to just keep gas in the car and clothes by the bed(along with tomatoes on the counter!). Sounds like a great recipe. Thank you!!!

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