Salsa

A salsa this simple lives or dies by the quality of the ingredients—ripe avocado, luscious tomato, and a sweet, crunchy ear of corn. Most of my corn salsa recipes call for grilled corn. This one features the succulent crunch of raw corn to reinforce the sweetness of the fresh avocado.

This lively salsa is typically served with Argentine asado—beef, pork, or lamb cooked over an open fire or grill. It's also wonderful with a seared skirt steak.

This recipe was created to accompany Smoked Whitefish Cakes with Cucumber Salsa. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Juicy cantaloupe makes a refreshing salsa for grilled chicken or fish. For a milder salsa, discard all the chile seeds.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 20 min

Charring the tomatillos, chiles, and garlic under the broiler before puréeing them concentrates their flavor and sweetness and gives the finished salsa a smoky essence.

This cool salsa is the ideal accompaniment for grilled shrimp.

If you prefer, use honeydew melon for an equally good salsa. Offer buttered new potatoes and sautéed spinach with the fish. Afterward, serve slices of pound cake with rum-soaked raisins and store-bought caramel sauce. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe originally accompanied Grill-Roasted Brined Turkey with Anaheim Chile Salsa Verde . This beautiful, mild-flavored green salsa may be served heated or at room temperature. For the brightest green color possible, add the cilantro just before serving.

Gulisa's Ajika This lively condiment goes nicely with grilled meats and fish as well as with pork stew.

Serve this colorful salsa with grilled fish or chicken, or with black beans and rice.

This recipe was created to accompany Roasted Chicken Legs with Plum Chili Salsa . Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This unusual salsa calls for canned or bottled nopalitos, the stems of the prickly pear cactus. Available in the Mexican section of many supermarkets, they're sometimes labeled natural tender cactus. If you cannot find nopalitos at your local market, simply substitute cooked green beans. Use this tasty salsa as you would any other--with meats, chips and tacos.

This recipe was created to accompany Grilled Chicken with Peach and Apple Salsa.

Great with tortilla chips as a dip. Or try it as a vegetarian filling for burritos adding grated Monterey Jack cheese, too.

For accompaniments, buy your favorite potato salad and steam some zucchini. Have lemonade and brownies afterward.

"When a friend celebrated her birthday at El Teddy's in New York City's TriBeCa, I really enjoyed trying the innovative dishes there," says Thea DeSando of New York, New York. "But the one thing I couldn't get enough of was the salsa—smoky and full of tomato flavor. Is there any way you can get the recipe?"

This recipe was created to accompany Grilled Cumin Chicken Breasts with Avocado Salsa. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

[This salsa is a primary ingredient in the recipe for Red Chile Rice with Shrimp and Bacon.]

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe was created to accompany Seared Rosemary Scallops . Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.