First weekend salsa

That’s the food, not the dance.

When the Professor and I met, we were living in different towns about an hour and a half drive apart. The fact that we had mutual friends resulted in us ending up at the same queer-related focus group, where we met briefly. Emails ensued, and before long we were exchanging seven a day. This was before texting, instant messaging, affordable cellphones or unlimited long distance, so seven emails a day was a LOT of contact, especially considering that we both had full time jobs and I didn’t have a computer at home back then.

Then came the five-hour phone call. We spoke from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. one night a couple weeks after first meeting. We just couldn’t stand it any more, and I made plans to spend a weekend over at her place. There was a small mountain range between our two towns. In years to come, we would say that I drove over the mountains and never really came back. We had known each other 16 days. (Though in all fairness, it took me another 5+ weeks to move in.) She says half jokingly that part of the reason she fell in love with me was that I made this recipe during my visit. Since then, we have always called it First Weekend Salsa.

First Weekend Salsa

2 cans green chile tomatoes
1 green pepper, diced
1 bunch green onions, chopped up
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 c. frozen corn
1 T. cumin (reduce if you’re not a cumin fanatic like me)
1 t. chile powder–regular or chipotle

Mix all and let sit for awhile to allow flavors to blend.
Because of the corn and black beans, a big bowl of this with tortilla chips is essentially a meal. Enjoy a little bit of it, or a lot!

Image courtesy Grant Cochrane / freedigitalphotos.net