Leftovers: It's salsa time

I often find myself wondering what on Earth I'm supposed to do with leftover canned tomatoes. I usually only think of two things -- chili and marinara -- and I'm not always in the mood for those. Plus, you need lots of canned tomatoes for those, more than I have at this moment. I have a half can from the poblano enchiladas recipe.

Well, summertime is also salsa time, so (perhaps in addition to fresh tomatoes) you can throw together a batch of salsa in no time with ingredients that are easy to find right now.

I also have a little poblano pepper, green onions, and a couple tomatillos. Great salsa additions. And, last but not least, I'm going to make chips out of some of the leftover tortillas.

The recipe below lends itself nicely to alternative ingredients, and I've made some suggestions for you.

Salsa (this also makes a great fat-free marinade for chicken, fish, or tofu)

1-2 garlic cloves

1 green onion

1/2 poblano pepper

2 Anaheim peppers

1/2 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (more if you want it extra spicy)

1/2 yellow or red bell pepper (left over from the garden-fresh rice pilaf)

half of a 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes

1/2 red onion

salt, to taste

1 teaspoon ground cumin (I love cumin and use freshly ground seeds; you can use less)

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

2 tomatillos (or more, if you have them)

optional: cilantro (which I highly recommend using; I'm out at the moment), pineapple or mango chunks for a little sweetness, a half a serrano pepper, fresh yellow or red tomatoes

for the chips: 3 large tortillas, brushed lightly with olive oil on both sides, then cut into 6-8 chips each

1.) Chop all ingredients -- except tortillas, obviously -- into large chunks and combine them in a food processor. Process until almost smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and let sit in the refrigerator for a few hours at least, so the flavors blend well.

2.) Pre-heat oven to 350. Spread the tortilla pieces on a cookie sheet and bake for about 25 minutes, turning once or twice, until lightly browned and crispy. Remove from the oven, salt them, and let them cool.