Game Day Salsa

Isn’t it just so great when you go to a tailgate party or to someone’s house to watch “the game” and they have a cold, savory salsa for dip with chips?  We never go out.  I’m such a stay at home person, I don’t go to parties, I rarely go to movies, I LIKE it at home.  Poor Jimmy. He would love to go out… drinks and a lingering dinner somewhere.  Not me.  I grew up having to be the socially perfect child/adolescent/teen/young adult.  I had to serve punch at the Museum. I had to help serve drinks at my parents cocktail parties.  When I came home from college, I guess it would have been Christmas breaks, my mother had always signed me up at the Museum fund-raiser, Promenade.  They always put me in that booth where you throw a baseball at a hole and the beautiful girl sitting on the diving board plunged into the murky depths of some barrel if you hit the target.  Did I mention who the beautiful girl was?  Did I mention I was told to wear my tee-tiniest bikini?  Did I mention it was always cold as all get out?

It never ended.  No matter what my age, join this, chair that, STAND UP STRAIGHT, put some lipstick on, smile, please and WILL YOU DO SOMETHING WITH THAT HAIR?  You thought they made that up for Skeeter in “The Help”?  Well, guess what.  We all had that cross to bear.  My best friends growing up were the daughters of the mayor, doctors, lawyers, architects and judges.  We were always on show.  But… I have to say, when we got in trouble, we could usually just slide ever so prettily out of it. I remember one time we were in somebody’s car, top down, the usual suspects, probably Andrea, Jodie, Dana and Martha and a policeman pulled us over, that bad-ass blue light just a whirlin’ around and there we were just drunk as pigs.  He came over to the car and shone his flashlight in our eyes, waving it all over, we were on Federal Highway right in front of Egg & You, and said, in no uncertain terms,  “if I EVER catch y’all drinkin’ an’ drivin’ I an going to personally call your parents and let them know exactly what y’all are doing!  Do you understand?”  Jesus.  We were just a mess.  And talk about a different time.  So I am done.   But when I DO go to a tailgate, cookout or to someone’s house I want something that isn’t going to throw my thighs into the next episode of “The Biggest Loser”.  And this is pretty great.  Use any bean you like, just take into consideration color.  You want a bit of contrast.  White corn stays crisp, yellow gets mushy.  And flavor is always a good thing!

• 1 15 oz. can organic black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15 oz. can organic red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15 oz. can organic white shoe peg corn, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup red onion, that’s about 1/3 of the onion, finely chopped
• 1 or 2 jarred jalapenos, finely chopped, (optional, but we love it spicy)
• 2-3 Key limes or 1 large lime, juiced
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 bunch cilantro, washed, dried and chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine all of the above.  Cover and set aside for at least an hour for flavors to meld.
2. Serve with Tostitos Hint O’ Jalapenos.

Now, wouldn’t you just love to throw a baseball at her?