Perfect Pico de gallo {Recipe}

My family adores pico with blue corn chips. It’s one of my kid’s favourite snacks and it’s usually gone before I can get a taste. Sometimes I make a secret bowl and hide it in the back of the refrigerator just so I can have my own. Pico is the perfect spring and summer side to bring to picnics or family gatherings. I like to experiment a bit with my pico, but I have found that there is a basic formula, and if you get that right while experimenting with the add-ins, it will always turn out delicious.

Pico Base Recipe

1 TBSP fresh chopped cilantro
2 TBSP fresh lime juice
1/4 inch to 1 inch of a jalapeno
1/4-1/2 medium mild onion finely chopped
Salt to taste
Mix it up… taste and adjust anything based on your own preference.

Rhubarb-Strawberry

1/4 cup baked rhubarb, finely chopped (Toss in 1 TBSP honey and bake at 350 on a baking sheet covered with parchment for 15 minutes)
1 3/4 cups strawberries, finely chopped

Tomato, Corn and Bean

1 cup tomato
1/2 cup corn (look for heirloom/organic)
1/2 cup black beans (properly soaked and cooked first)

Blueberry- Peach

2 peaches, chopped
1 cup blueberries

Plain Ole Tomato

2 cups tomato (I mixed it up by combining 4 different types of baby heirloom tomatoes)

Tips for Great Pico

Use your taste buds… taste along the way and if something is off (like a too strong onion or a too spicy pepper) then adjust the other ingredients. I stick pretty close to the above formula, but sometimes my tastebuds require some tweaking
Use some frozen ingredients. If you are heading to a picnic and you know it’s over an hour before you will eat, use frozen fruit for one of your mix-ins. It will be thawed out by the time you get ready to eat and perfectly cold.
Don’t be afraid! Go wild… I have tried everything from mango, jicama, nectarine, raspberries, melon and even mint in this recipe and it has almost never been bad. Give it a try and see what you come up with.