Vidalia Peach Salsa

A friend of mine recently brought me a jar of some small farm's vidalia peach salsa. I'm not really a huge salsa fan, but that jar was empty soon after we opened it. I looked for a recipe for it, but most of what I found was completely raw (which didn't sound like what I had, or what I wanted), or it used canned peaches, which didn't seem right. I came up with this version for a Fourth of July party, and it was a huge hit! This recipe makes about two quarts, which is a lot, but you can easily halve it.

Vidalia Peach Salsa
yield: 7-8 cups
prep/cook time: 30-40 minutes
ready in: 5 hours (with cooling time)

• 4 cups finely chopped Vidalia onion (1-2 large onions)
• 2 cups finely chopped orange and/or yellow bell peppers (2 medium peppers)
• 2 cups diced, ripe peaches (3-4 peaches)
• One 28-ounce can petite diced tomatoes
• Juice of one lemon (or lime)
• The following are all optional/adjustable to taste:
• Salt (1-2 teaspoons)
• Pepper (1/2-1 teaspoon)
• Smoked paprika (1 teaspoon)
• Chipotle powder (1/4 teaspoon)
• Dried oregano (1/4 teaspoon)
• Apple cider vinegar (1 tablespoon)
• Honey, sugar, or other sweetener (I used 3 tablespoons; depends on sweetness of fruit and vegetables)
• Fresh chopped cilantro

1. Chop onions and peppers and set aside.
2. Peel, pit, and chop peaches, catching all the juices.
3. Drain tomatoes and peaches in a sieve, reserving liquid.
4. On medium-high heat, heat a medium stockpot with a little non-stick spray or oil. Saute onions and peppers with some salt until starting to soften, about 5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, place tomato/peach juices in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add dried spices, vinegar, and honey and bring to a rapid boil (being careful not to boil over). Boil until reduced and reaches a syrupy consistency, about 10 minutes.
6. Add tomatoes to onions and peppers. Continue cooking for 5 minutes; remove from heat.
7. Add reduced liquid, diced peaches, and lemon juice to the stockpot and stir to combine. Cool completely (4+ hours).
8. When cool, transfer half of the mixture to a blender or food processor and blend until roughly smooth. (Or use an immersion blender and just blend half the mixture.) Stir smooth and chunky mixtures together. (If you prefer your salsa smoother or chunkier, adjust accordingly.)
9. Add fresh cilantro (if using).

This turned out to be sweet, full-bodied, with a little smokiness from the paprika and a little kick from the chipotle. The vegetables are cooked and softened, but still retain a bit of bite. If you like it hotter, you could add some whole chipotles in adobo, or cut the bell peppers with some hotter peppers. You can also change up the type of onions and bell peppers, or even replace some/all of the peaches with mango.

Recipe is naturally vegetarian (vegan: replace honey with agave or other sweetener), gluten-free, allergen-free, and low-fat/fat-free (only fat is from nonstick spray or oil for sauteing the vegetables). Lower-sugar option: replace honey with no-calorie sweetener.