The second it gets hot outside I make salsa. I can’t really explain that fact but it’s true. Great weather is just one excuse to whip up some homemade salsa, make margaritas and enjoy an impromptu happy hour with friends. One type of salsa I especially love is fruit salsa because it’s so fun to come up with new sweet and spicy combinations.

I love spice, so this salsa reflects that. If you aren’t so keen on hot n’ spicy salsa, just discard the jalapeno seeds before adding.

I like to enjoy this salsa in the classic manner, with tons of extra salty tortilla chips, but I think it’d also be fantastic over grilled fish or barbecued chicken! Go crazy — the opportunities are endless.

Strawberry Mango Salsa

Try this sweet and spicy combination with mango and strawberry. Food blogger Jenna Weber shares pairing ideas for this dish in a full post on the Fresh Tastes blog.

Ingredients

• 1 pint strawberries
• 1 large mango, preferably manila or champagne
• ¾ cup chopped fresh cilantro (one small bunch)
• ¼ red onion, minced
• 1 whole jalapeno, minced (seeds removed if you prefer less heat)
• juice of 2 limes
• 1 tbsp honey

Directions

1. Chop up the strawberries and mango into very small bits.
2. Place in a bowl with the cilantro, minced red onion and minced jalapeno.
3. Add honey and lime juice and stir well.

Tips/Techniques

This salsa is best eaten the day it is prepared.

Yield: yields about 2 cups

Jenna Weber is half of the Fresh Tastes blog team. She graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in 2008 and, since then, has worked as a pastry chef, bread baker and freelance food editor. Currently, Jenna blogs full-time on EatLiveRun.com where her delicious daily recipes and quirky culinary musings appeal to thousands. She lives in Northern California and, when not in the kitchen, can usually be found on her yoga mat.