SALSA 22 DE NOVIEMBRE – A Love Letter to the Garden

Salsa 22 de Noviembre Recipe – Smoky, Fresh & Deeply Personal

Intro

This salsa is special… not because of a secret ingredient, but because of who grew it. Two of my favorite people (both born 11/22) grew every single ingredient that went into this batch. My mom and my friend Dan are obsessive gardeners, the kind of people who can coax life out of a Chicago growing season that’s way too short. What they grow tastes different (read: more alive) and you can feel that in this salsa.

It reminds me a lot of my Salsa Majarra (maybe because Mama Z grew that one, too?). It’s a classic, fire-roasted tomato salsa that does it all — a perfect table salsa, amazing on a taco de asada, and even better cooked into a guisado. It’s simple, soulful, and grown with love.

Why This Salsa Works

🌶 Garden Fresh – Every ingredient straight from the dirt, grown with care.
🔥 Tatemado Technique – Roasting over high heat adds depth and smokiness.
💧 Flexible Flavor – Blend smooth or chunky; both hit just right.
❤️ Made with Love – A true family-and-friends collaboration.

---

Ingredients

YIELD: 1½ quarts

• 1,725 g heirloom tomatoes (≈ 3 ¾ lb)

• 105 g banana peppers, whole (≈ 3 peppers)

• 35 g fresh chiltepin chiles, whole (≈ 2 Tbsp)

• 75 g garlic, whole in its paper (≈ 1 bulb)

• 75 g white onion, quartered (≈ ½ large onion)

• 15 g jalapeño peppers, whole (≈ 1 small pepper)

• 8 g Diamond Crystal kosher salt (≈ 1 ½ tsp)

• 5 g chicken bouillon (optional, ≈ 1 tsp)

Instructions

1️⃣ Broil the Tomatoes

Preheat broiler to high. Place tomatoes on a sheet tray and broil ≈ 15 min, flipping halfway, until blackened and tender. Cool and peel off skins.

2️⃣ Roast the Aromatics

On a hot comal or cast-iron pan, roast chiles, garlic (still in paper), and onion until blackened and soft (≈ 10 min). Cool, peel garlic, stem chiles.

3️⃣ Blend It Up

Add everything to a blender with salt and bouillon (if using). Blend to your preferred texture — smooth or rustic.

4️⃣ Taste & Adjust

Add more salt if needed and serve warm or at room temperature.

---

Tips & Tricks

🌶 Dial the Heat – Use fewer chiltepin or jalapeños for a milder version.
🍅 Tomato Swap – Any ripe, juicy tomato works if heirlooms aren’t in season.
🫑 Multi-Use Salsa – As a table salsa or for cooking with beans or meats.
🫶 Bouillon Optional: but recommended, it rounds the whole thing out.

Tools I Used

Sheet Tray – for broiling the tomatoes evenly.
Comal or Cast Iron Pan – to get that deep char on the chiles, garlic, and onion.
Tongs – for flipping everything without losing your fingerprints.
My Blender – for bringing it all together into a smooth-ish, rustic salsa.

Make It & Show Me

If you make this salsa, I want to see it! Tag @goatboyintl so I can share it — especially if you grew your own ingredients. That’s the real flex.