Classic Carrie

It's crucial to get a bite with everything on it

I made this salsa recently and thought I would blog about it even though it doesn't actually have any ingredients from the farm. Many of them could be from our farm, but it's still too early in the season. Anytime I need a dish-to-pass, this is what I bring. I'm not completely sure where it originated, but I've adapted it over the years. Among my friends, it's often known as "Carrie's Salsa," but if you find a new group of people to share it with, maybe you can get it started as {insert your name here}'s salsa. It's literally so good that my college roommate Jenna and I had to start a "two chip" rule for whenever we made it for something, meaning we were only allowed two chips each to taste it. Otherwise, there was a good chance we'd never stop! Occasionally, we'd run out of tortilla chips and still have some salsa left. My other college roommate Becky started eating it with saltine crackers. At first I thought I was too good for that, but desperate times call for desperate measures! 

It's easy to make and hard to mess up. I've tried all sorts of variations over the years and it's always turned out great. The only mistake I ever made was adding too much onion and even then, it was still decent. First, chop up 2-3 tomatoes, about 1/2 of a medium-sized red onion, and an avocado. Put them all in a bowl, add a can of corn and a can of drained black beans, and mix it all together. I recommend adding chopped fresh cilantro to taste, but it turns out pretty well without it too. 

The last step is to prepare Good Seasons Italian dressing (or Meijer brand -- a little cheaper and tastes the same) according to the directions on the box. You'll need 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1/2 cup of vegetable oil. Mix that up separately and then pour it over the salsa. It's best if it sits for a little bit so the dressing can soak into the veggies (if you can wait that long). Serve with chips and it's an instant party favorite.