We try to stick pretty closely to home improvement and decorating related content, but when we saw this little five dollar salsa kit at the farmer’s market we immediately loved the “homey” feeling it gave us. And it was a DIY project of sorts. We also thought it would make an adorable hostess or housewarming gift. Who knew tossing salsa ingredients into a decorative basket or bowl could be so darn cute?
After happily handing five dollars over in return for some locally grown salsa ingredients, John sweetly asked if it came with any directions. The response? Just chop everything up and let it stand for an hour. It doesn’t get much easier than that. So we stopped for some tortilla chips and got to work whipping up our homemade salsa as soon as we got home.
It took about fifteen minutes for us to chop up the varied collection of tomatoes along with the garlic and the onion (and we only used half of the jalapeño because we’re wusses). Before we knew it we had a multi-colored bowl of goodness staring us in the face.
And what’s that bowl in the background of the photo above? That’s what I like to call John’s Rachael Ray bowl. He likes to use a regular old cereal bowl to collect the skin and ends of all the stuff we chop to keep the counter and the cutting board nice and clean. Didn’t I hit the jackpot when I married my little chef? It’s also nice because it easily allows us to pick out the stuff we can compost and then dump the rest of it in the garbage in one fell swoop. Another bowl bonus? Using it to collect the waste while we cook keeps the base cabinet where we store our garbage pail and compost container much cleaner since we only open it once at the end of the project instead of constantly tossing things in the trash with dirty hands as we go.
But back to the salsa at hand. After our chop fest we just let it sit for an hour or so in the fridge and then it was fiesta time.
So what do you guys think? Wouldn’t a DIY salsa kit make a cute little gift for a friend? Or a sweet little date night activity? And while we’re on the subject of DIY meals, do you have any other favorite snacks or meals to whip up in a snap that still feel special and fun? Do tell. We also love making s’mores in our backyard firepit… and come to think of it a s’mores kit would also be a great gift. Gotta love DIY projects that result in a delicious treat.
Katrina says
Yum, I’ll have to get me some next time I hit up the farmers market. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I have loved your blog for so long, it is a true honor. Probably see you again at the outlet. Keep up the good work and good luck to you both.
krstn says
It’s a great idea! I saw something like that at my local farmer’s market this summer. But since I was growing my own tomatoes at home, had to forgo it. Now my tomato plants are dead for the season, the air is turning cooler and I miss my fresh salsa!
Also a neat housewarming idea: mixing bowls, spatula and brownie or muffin mix. Someone got this for us for our wedding and I’ve been copying it since.
Carol says
Supe cute idea and so healthy. Looks really yummy. Knowing me, I’d trash it up with some chopped green and black olives and chedder cheese and a tad of italian dressing and call it our incredible dip (every Sunday for the Bears games!) Enjoy!
Jessica says
I love the idea of giving fresh veggies for salsa (or fresh tropical fruits for a fruit salsa!) as a hostess, housewarming, thank you, or just because gift. You could add in a couple sprigs of fresh cilantro and present it all in southwest-style basket or inside of a large mason jar that the recipient can use to store the salsa once it’s ready.
In fact, if you really wanted to make this a spectacular gift for a bigger occasion (birthday, holidays), you could expand on the salsa them and even throw in a CD of Salsa music, some jalapeno jelly, a book of Freda Kahlo’s work, and a bright Mexican inspired scarf. Ole!
Dianna says
I didn’t know salsa was so easy to make. I love the idea! We had a friend that made a delicious salsa but it was his secret recipe. My sister in-law makes it and cans it for everyone….from all the veggies she grows in her garden.
In response to Chrissy’s post…..my husband takes interest in our house. He’s the one that has the knack for great finds at junk stores, flea markets, etc.,etc. He finds the stuff for me to recreate. He is also a chef by trade, therefore, does most of the cooking at home too. Have you noticed all the hunky guys on HGTV lately?
Cash says
Did you guys use that ENTIRE BULB of garlic??? That seems like a lot. Or did you just use a clove or two??
GREAT IDEA by the way and I love Allison’s Guac kit idea too! I think my boyfriend and I may have to use one of these ideas this weekend when we stay with some friends in Dallas! :) Or does anyone have some good House Guests Gift ideas?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Cash,
I think we ended up using 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, though we probably would’ve been safe with another. The guy who sold it to us said some people use the whole thing!
xo,
s
lisa p says
I’d throw in a “dip bowl” so the recipient can put the salsa in. Maybe even tie ribbon around the basket or weave through the basket. How about a homemade card with a jalapeno pepper on the cover! Oh, and can’t forget the tortilla chips! Tostitos has “whole grain” chips.
Here’s some food for thought – could this be a rude hostess gift since it’s not made? Now they have to take the time to chop ingredients, etc.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Lisa,
Good point! This definitely isn’t a good idea for a big formal gathering since the hostess won’t have a moment to make it (although you could hand it over with the disclaimer that they can whip it up the next day while they relax and recover). But if you’re more of an informal hanger-outer (like us) and you find yourself headed over to another couple’s house to watch the game or just hang out, it might be nice to bring it if you’re comfortable enough in their home to chop stuff up in their kitchen while they toss the rest of dinner together. It’s always nice to hang out with friends in the heart of their home! Hope it helps.
xo,
s
JenO says
I love making salsa! I do it at least once or twice a month. Although I feel like you’re missing a key ingredient – cilantro! That is by far one of my favorite herbs. Awesome post though – I never thought of giving the kit as a gift!
YoungHouseLove says
So many suggestions for cilantro! We’re by no means master salsa chefs (it was actually our first time whipping some up) although we definitely enjoyed our first homemade batch. We’ll certainly make a point to try tossing cilantro into the mix next time. Thanks for the tip!
xo,
s
Allison says
Which farmer’s market do you go to? I’m from Richmond but have just moved back after a few years and I don’t know where to get my fresh produce! Those salsa kits are too cute and made me immediately think of Trader Joe’s and their guacamole kits. Thanks for yet another great idea!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Allison,
We frequent the South of the James Farmer’s Market in Forrest Hill Park. It’s open on Saturday mornings and Amy’s Garden (where we got the salsa kit) is the booth that’s usually at the far end. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
christi says
i love to make salsa — it’s also a great base for ceviche. i’ll make it soon and post about it!
East End says
They were selling those little yellow cherry tomatoes separately and wow! The best tomatoes ever!
Carrie says
Love this idea! I think it would make a great host gift to take to a party.
The only ever put two other baskets similar to this idea together. Both are pretty standard but, one was a “night at the movies” basket. Just put a DVD, boxes of candy and a few bags of popcorn. (This is fun for kids as well. Going to do this for my little cousin when the Jo Bros movie comes out, with a few pairs of 3-d glasses.) And the other was a bride emergency kit. All the essentials for any emergency and some fun extras to sooth any pre-wedding melt downs!
Carly says
I love love love this idea! Thanks for sharing :)
Sam says
Mmmm…homemade salsa is the best. I’m usually not a fan of kitchen gadgets because they rarely work as promised, but there is a tool from Williams-Sonoma called the Veggie Chop that is awesome for making salsa. Plus my 2 year old likes to pull the string so the salsa practically makes itself! And it’s relatively cheap so it could be added to a gift basket. Alright, off to eat some salsa…
Laurie says
LOVE this idea! And I’ve got the stuff right in my garden…great idea for hostess gift. Thanks for sharing!
Amy says
Yes, love the idea. I get this and the Guacamole kit at Trader Joes for $2.99. I love me some Trader Joes!
Lori says
Now I am craving fresh salsa! I agree with all of the posters that say cilantro is a must!
No one seems to be addressing the most important part of the last paragraph though … s’mores! We don’t have a firepit (smallish backyard and composite deck = no firepit), but we DO roast marshmallows over the still hot coals almost every time we grill out. If you stir and blow them after you’re done eating, you can usually muster up enough heat to roast the ‘mallows. (Take off the grate first, too.) If you’re like my boyfriend, you can even “man it up” by making sure there’s grill marks on the graham crackers.
sandra says
Where my family is from, salsa is made by cooking or boiling all the ingredients in a bit of water. Add a pinch of salt, pepper and chop a bit of cilantro; then put it all in a blender/food processor until you reach the consistency you like. Salsa is actually a cooked sauce. If you chop everything, keep it fresh and uncooked, it’s called ‘pico de gallo’.
Connie says
Here’s a tip for making s’mores that is really helpful with small children. Instead of layering the marshmallow and chocolate between graham crackers, we use those tasty Digestive biscuits that are chocolate coated on one side. Much neater and we don’t have to pick sand out of pieces of melty chocolate bar that were accidentally dropped on the beach LOL!
Also regarding the “Rachel Ray bowl” I just recently picked up a bin from the clearance table at Home Outfitters. It’s green flexible plastic and sort of a flat oval shape that hooks securely in the top of a drawer or cabinet door. It’s right at counter level, but it doesn’t stick way out(so it doesn’t get in your way) and you can swoop all the trimmings and peelings into the bin without anything hitting the floor. And it doesn’t take up space on the counter. Our sink is across the other side of the room from the stove so I end up doing my chopping beside the stove, and have to trail across the floor with handfuls of onion and garlic peels etc. to put it into the disposer. This saves me sweeping the floor twice every time I cook anything!! I’ll see if I can see a brand name or something on the bin but I already peeled off the stickers. I know I will use it a lot when I bake bread or roll out pastry because I use my Martha Stewart recommended board scraper to pick up all the bits of flour and pastry and with this, I can just scrape the board directly into the bin. No flour trails across the floor anymore. I’m a very messy cook and this is going to help me enjoy cooking without dreading the mess later.
Oops, sorry this got so long. Maybe I should have split it into two comments?
Bailey says
Awesome! Next time you do one of those, try adding some lime juice and cilantro. Divide the salsa in half and add a couple of avocados to one half, voila! Two dips that are to die for delish. Oh and one other thing, I would totally spike the guac with some superfinely chopped red onion, gives it such a savory yet sweet kick!
DIY foodie kits are my specialty! I make a good bruscetta one with heirloom tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil, and a good loaf of crusty Italian bread. Cheap, but good lord does nothing beat good bruscetta.
A smores kit can get upgraded with good chocolate (Green & Blacks Milk chocolate is killer for smores) and homemade marshmallows. The grahams can get repackaged into a darling cello bag with a ribbon. If you are making your own, you can use a fun cookie cutter to make shapes or a pastry cutter for a frilly fluted edge. :)
Mizden says
Oh man, you hit a soft spot here….I LOVE salsa!…there are so many different ones!…and it’s so cute that you only used half for the whole bowl…haha we usually make salsa once a week or every two weeks (depending on how long it last…which depends of how spicy it is) and we normally add 12-15 jalapeños depending on the size :D
The little one let’s say the grennie/yellow tomato it’s called Fresadilla Tomato….I have no idea how to translate that….I googled it but I guess there are some things you just can’t translate.
I would use the same ingredients but rather boil them and make a “salsa molcajeteada” that stands for the utensil you use to make it…picture below
http://cocinaycomparte.com/recipes/74
But instead of a molcajete you can use a blender in “chop” mode (don’t leave it too long so you can have the texture) to give the salsa a very similar look…I would use red tomatoes, garlic, onion, jalapeño and some cilantro; boil the tomatoes, onion and your half jalapeño and then toss it into the blender add the cilantro and garlic…maybe some salt? and voila! I recomend the cilantro since 98% of mexicans love it…I personally don’t…I think the flavor is too strong…but I guess I’m beyond weird to even say that haha.
You can also make a salsa that looks like it has guacamole in it but actually don’t (similar to this photo)
http://www.karaokesergiovilleli.com/images/TAQUIZAS/album/slides/SALSA%20VERDE.html
just boil green pumpkins and well as much jalapeño as you want, once boiled, toss them in the blender and while bleding add some salt (your preference) a little bit of oil and the color will change…that one has to be really well blend.
I’m talking about this kind of pumpkin..not the orange halloween one haha:
http://hechoenmexicob2b.com/product.php?prod=prod&id=577
Oh and also a dish that I love…is called enchiladas suizas…I don’t think swiss people even know about it though haha but it’s like chicken tacos only rolled and you top it with tomate fresadilla salsa, sour cream and cheese (one that melts but it’s your choice) you just fry a little the tortilla then add the chicken (previously cooked) and roll it… put it in a ovenproof recipient and add the salsa, and cheese, put it in the oven just a few minutes until the cheese melts…and then serve it and add some sour crem to it….if you make fresadilla salsa (just boil fresadilla tomatoes) that’s not spicy so you won’t have to worry about it but you can always add some salsa molcajeteada to it :D
Picture:
http://rollybrook.com/enchiladas_suizas.htm
This is actually a how to…the recipe it’s slightly different…I’d rather have it with fresadilla tomatoes than green pepper and cream…I would say that one taste good as well…but I think you add tons of calories with that can of cream haha and it would be more creamy instead of salsa looking.
Ok, so I guess this is Salsa 101 sorry if I just wandered too much and bored you! I just think that everyone should enjoy salsa and why not a yummy dish as well, and feel free to ask if you have doubts or want to know more about it(I’m no expert but I can help).
Hope you give something of the above a try!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for all the info Mizden! So much fun!
xo
s
Mizden says
Ps: The reason why my recipes are different is because I wrote the simpler versions.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Mizden!
xo
s