Well, Monica, you've got a table full of very delicious looking food, but unfortunately, I wish our viewers could just enjoy and inhale the fragrances that I'm having to enjoy right here.

>>(laughs) Yes.

>>So, we're gonna be making a salad to start with, a cucumber salad, and these are all the ingredients?

>>Yes, for the summertime, it's excellent.

The cucumber is so fresh and (clears throat) it take out the thirst, right?

So we have the cucumbers, the cilantro that is always so aromatic and you can mix with many kind of cookings.

>>Uh-huh.

>>This is the round tomato.

>>Yes, beautiful.

>>The serrano peppers, garlic cloves.

>>I think I'm smelling that the most (laughs).

>>Yes, yes, yes.

For us, they must go always with the onions, and these little guys is the green tomatillo, and they has the husk, and we just take out the husk and use the tomatillo.

>>And there it is right there.

>>Yes.

>>A cute little guy.

(Monica laughs) So many people don't know- >>And so flavorful.

>>Ah, yes.

But it's important to remove.

>>To remove the husk, yeah.

We use the husk for another kind of things.

Anything like to cook, it's for another kind of things, but the green tomatillo can be from this size or bigger.

>>Much like a golf ball.

>>Yes, like a golf ball, but this size, it's different, the taste go changing.

>>Okay.

>>And this is good for the salsas because it's not so acidic.

>>Okay, like the tomatoes are.

>>Yes, yes.

>>Wonderful.

Well, let's get starting with our cucumber salad.

So you've got the ingredients here.

>>I have the ingredients, is the cucumber diced already, all of them, the round tomato, the onions, and the cilantro, it can't be missed.

>>Well, how far in advance can you cut everything up?

Like if I was making this to go someplace and?

>>Yes, if you put this in the fridge, you are fine to make even the night before.

>>Okay.

>>It's better if you don't mix it.

You mix at the end.

>>Oh.

>>Because if you mix before, the juice of the tomato will make a mess with everything (laughs).

>>Ah, yes.

It will soften everything, yeah.

>>Yes, exactly right.

>>Yes.

>>So the cucumber it is just, they're in there like this, is crunchy.

>>Right.

>>But if you mix with the tomato will be soft.

>>Yeah.

>>So you can mix at the end but you can dice night before is okay.

>>Okay.

Sounds good.

So what's first?

Is there an order?

Does it just all get- >>No.

It's just mix everything.

>>Okay.

>>Combine everything.

So this is the cucumbers.

(plastic spoon taps) You can leave the seeds or not if as you like.

>>So it's personal preference?

>>Yes.

Some persons they don't like the seeds.

>>Okay.

>>And the round tomato.

(plastic spoon taps) >>Yes.

>>I note that if you put the pieces larger, the flavors don't mix as well as- >>Interesting.

>>If you cut in a small chunks.

>>Small.

Okay.

>>So you put more cucumber than tomato.

>>Yes.

>>And the- >>Good amount of- >>Onion is the same.

>>Yeah.

>>Is the amount as you want.

>>Okay.

(plastic spoon taps) >>So cilantro is- >>These are magic colors because it's the red, the white, and green, that's our flag (laughs).

>>(laughs) I was gonna say the Mexican flag.

>>Yeah (laughs).

(Peggy laughs) >>And finally the cilantro.

>>Finally the cilantro.

This is so really aromatic, and when you chop it, it's the smell and the flavor on it, and so healthy and a lot of benefits.

If you can identify the cilantro, it's different from parsley because the leaves are like rounded.

>>Okay.

>>And the flavor is soft than parsley.

>>Okay, well Monica, we're gonna move along 'cause we've got one more dish and we don't have a lot of time.

>>Okay.

>>So we just mix that, we store it in the refrigerator?

>>Yes, and you store in the refrigerator.

>>Okay.

>>And the options you have is the avocado.

(plastic spoon taps) You can dice avocado and put on them the same size.

>>Okay.

>>The avocado is the last, last thing you dice because it gets black.

>>Oh, okay.

>>Because they are oxygenate.

>>Right, much like an much like an apple.

>>Yes.

Something like that.

>>Well, let's- >>So that's the last one.

>>I'm not gonna hurry you, but I'm hurrying you (Monica laughs) because we want to get to this one.

>>Yes, this one is a special thing for us.

This is a mortar.

>>Yeah.

>>Make from stone and we grind with this, and in Mexico is really helpful in the kitchens of every Mexican people, and you grind the everything, it can be seeds, it can be the vegetable like this.

We are making with this, the green salsa, and we just put there, these are already roasted.

>>Okay.

>>So we just grind with this.

So when you do this, you mix the flavors.

>>Oh, wonderful.

And grinding it together actually forces those flavors together?

>>Yes.

(stone pestle smacks) >>So you get it down to a pulverized.

>>Yes.

>>Consistency?

So this is salsa verde?

>>And integrate everything.

>>Yes.

>>So when you roast, you make another kind of flavor.

>>Yes.

>>It's like smokey.

>>Yes, you add that wonderful flavor.

>>It's different to boil it or to just put raw.

>>So, we've only got a little bit left, truly, and so how far would we grind this down to?

Just basically a pulp, almost.

I don't wanna use a pulp.

>>Yes.

>>But a liquid?

>>Yes, like a pulp, and you can add a little bit of water to make the texture you want.

>>Mm-hm.

And how typically long, typically, how long does this take to pulverize together?

>>Oh, it can be like three minutes.

>>Okay.

>>It depends on the amount of, look.

>>There we go.

>>So you are mixing there, the juices and the.

>>Sounds great.

Do we have a little segment we can show that shows the final product?

Do you have just a little bit that we could show?

>>Okay.

Yes, I can take some.

>>Yeah, just a teeny tiny bit 'cause yeah, I know we've got a lot of big pieces in there, but we have to move along, my dear.

>>Yes, the time is- >>Yes.

>>Difficult here.

>>Yeah.

(glass clangs) Okay, well that's looking like it's gonna grind a little faster having less in there.

>>Yes.

>>Once it's ground up, how long does it take?

How long can you store it?

Is my question.

>>Oh, in the fridge?

Like a week.

>>A week?

Okay.

>>Yes.

>>Can you freeze this at all?

>>Yes, but the flavor is less and- >>Ah, because it's not so fresh.

>>You lose flavor.

Yes.

>>Yes, yes, yes.

Well this is really interesting.

You know, I've always had a mortar and pestle and I thought of it for herbs and other things but never to make salsa.

This is a great method to be able to use.

>>Yes.

And we grind the seeds as well to make the corndof.

>>Okay.

>>It's a different kind of mortar but is the same idea to grind and mix and integrate everything.

>>Well, that's looking delicious.

That's looking absolutely delicious.

Do you put any other seasonings in with it?

>>Yes.

A little pinch of salt.

Oh, okay, I go like this, and grind it until you want, and if you want you can take out the peel or just leave it.

>>Okay.

>>Add a pinch of salt.

>>Well, as you put that pepper in and the salt and the, I'm gonna have to say goodbye.

>>Okay.

>>Okay (laughs)?

>>Thank you.

>>Thank you.

This has been wonderful.

Nice to see what goes on behind the scenes, (Monica laughs) so, thank you.

>>Thank you.