We’ve easily doubled the use of our rice and beans, and because those dry ingredients are already on hand and in my home as part of our long-term food storage, we’re saving money every time we serve this meal.

Big thanks go to Kris for sharing the recipe last Spring. All summer long we enjoyed our home grown ‘maters’ garnishing rice and bean taco salads. When the change in seasons forced me back to buying the not-so-sweet-little-nothings sold at the grocery store, I decided to experiment with substituting petite-cut canned tomatoes. As the family tasted the food storage friendly salsa Lizzie asked, “Is this the salsa from the Rio Grande restaurant?”

Close enough! 

Fresh Ingredients

8-10 Roma tomatoes, diced or substitute with 2 cans, petite-cut tomatoes (1 lb. 12 oz. each can)

1/2 cup yellow onion, diced

1/2 cup green onion, sliced

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

2 limes, juiced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Storage Ingredients

2 cans petite-cut tomatoes (1 lb. 12 oz. each can) substituted for fresh tomatoes

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 tablespoon salt

Mix all the ingredients and chill for an hour or two. So good! And because I’ve been preparing this recipe again and again, for a year, I’ve also discovered that it freezes well.

Sort of like raspberry freezer jam…but different. The point is, IT’S ALL GOOD, and I hope you’ll love it as much as we do.