From the Kitchen: Homemade Salsa (Vitamix!)

I am embarrassed to admit how many "meals" Blair and I have made out of tortilla chips and homemade salsa in the last week.  Fresh salsa is just SO good, and screams summer time to me!  The recipe below makes a ton, so you can share it with neighbors and take it to pool parties to become the most popular person around :)  

Homemade Salsa

Yield: a LOT....approximately 8 cups

Ingredients:

1 white onion, quartered
2 red bell peppers, stem and seeds removed
2 jalapeno peppers, stem removed (for medium spicy; less if you want a milder salsa)
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 bunch cilantro
8 large tomatoes, quartered (I think the on-the-vine variety give the best flavor)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Note: I used my Vitamix blender to make this salsa, which powerful enough to blend the ingredients without me chopping them first, and large enough to blend the salsa in one batch.  If you use a regular blender, or a food processor, you may have to pre-chop and/or process in batches and mix together at the end in a large mixing bowl.  The directions below are for the Vitamix.

Directions:

Place, in this order, the quartered onion, 2 bell peppers, 2 jalapenos, 6 cloves garlic, 1/2 bunch cilantro, and 4 quartered tomatoes, into the blender.  Add the spices and lime juice. Blend at a speed of variable 5, using the tamper to press down on the ingredients, until everything is well blended.  

Add the remaining 4 quartered tomatoes and blend at a speed of variable 3 until the salsa is blended but still chunky (don't go overboard or your salsa will be totally liquid).  

Store refrigerated in mason jars or other airtight containers.  Eat within a week or 2 - unless you properly can it, it won't last as long as store bought salsas due to the lack of preservatives!