Zucchini Salsa

Zucchini salsa with zucchini quesadillas.

It's still early in the summer gardening season, and already we've had such a bumper crop of zucchini that I'm having to get creative. (This is not me complaining, mind you.) I've steamed it, sauteed it, shredded it, sliced it; eaten it cooked, raw, and baked; tried it in sweet and savory.

But this week, I found a new favorite.

My mom planted the idea in my head that zucchini would make a delicious salsa. And because necessity is the mother of all invention, I winged it. The recipe was surprisingly simple, and with the help of a food processor, took mere moments to throw together. The result? A fresh, bright, tangy, barely spicy salsa that rivals its tomato counterpart.

We enjoyed this on tortilla chips, but it also made a wonderful topping for some zucchini quesadillas (whole wheat tortillas grilled together with cheese, black beans, sauteed onions and peppers, and shredded zucchini) alongside a little Greek yogurt or sour cream.

Next up, I'm thinking about using this salsa verde as an enchilada sauce. Stay tuned.

Zucchini Salsa

1 medium zucchini
2-3 jalapenos, depending on how spicy you like it
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup onion
1 teaspoon cumin OR 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

Rinse all the veggies and trim off any ends or stems. Toss all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until the salsa is well blended.