Mediterranean Salsa

Roasted peppers give a novel spin to an otherwise-ordinary salsa. Play up the Mediterranean feel by also adding basil, zucchini, and capers.  Any color of sweet bell pepper will work in this recipe - I used a combination of yellow, orange, and green, simply because the tomatoes were already red, but red bell peppers would work just as well.

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups seeded and chopped tomato*
• 1 cup finely chopped zucchini
• 1/2 cup finely chopped Roasted Bell Peppers
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons capers
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 minced garlic clove

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl.  You can make the salsa ahead if desired; it will keep in the fridge well for up to 2 days.

You can serve this salsa directly over toasted baguette slices for a bruschetta-type appetizer:

Or make it a side dish, alongside any entree - in which case I recommend something with a similarly Italianate feel.  I particularly enjoyed it spooned over Italian-style baked tofu; try West Soy or Soyboy:

And incidentally also delicious as a topping for baked potatoes:

*As with my recipe for Gazpacho with Roasted Peppers, it's worth taking the time to seed the tomatoes (though in this case, there's no need to peel them), otherwise your salsa will be watery. 

Nutrition Info:
6 servings (1/2 cup), Calories 33 

Tasting Notes:
Vegetables at their best. Almost nothing added to them, so just the taste of the fresh veggies all mingled together. The salty pop of the capers was a delight; I might chop kalamata olives very finely next time and add to the mix.  Would use a touch more basil and parsley, but other than that, no changes or complaints.

Rating:
3.5