Most people first encounter salsa as a mix of tomatoes, onions and peppers. While this can be pretty good, there's a lot more to salsa than tomatoes. Here is an example of a tomato-less salsa. This particular salsa is great with chips, tacos, burritos and such. It doesn't do well when cooked, though.

Ingredients

• 3 or 4 jalapeno chillies¹
• 2 - 4 cloves of garlic
• 6 spring onions²
• 1 lime
• 1 lemon
• 1 small orange, or half a large one
• 2 - 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (aka coriander)
• 2 large avocados

Method

1. Toast the jalapenos, garlic and spring onions over medium heat without oil. Put things in a few at a time. Roll them around and press them down with a spatula until they are blistered and slightly blackened. This really helps the flavour.

2. Mash the jalapenos, garlic and spring onions in a molcajete which is a large lava stone mortar and pestal. If you don't have one, you can use a food processor instead. When the mixture looks like a chunky paste, you're done.

3. Juice the lemon, lime and orange. Add to the jalapeno mixture. Add the cilantro as well.

4. Scoop the avocado into the mixture as well. There's a seed about the size of a golf ball in the avocado. To prepare, cut the avocado in half, lengthwise, going around the seed. Give the avocado a twist and it should separate into two halves. Grab a spoon and spoon the flesh out of the skin and into the salsa. To get the seed out, carefully saw into the seed with a sharp knife. When the knife is stuck in good, give it a quarter twist and out comes the seed. Mix everything with a fork. The salsa should still have some chunks of avocado and such, rather than a smooth paste.

5. Serve with chips.

This salsa is best the day it is made, but will keep in the refrigerator for a few days if covered. Some of the citrus will separate, so give it a good stir.