PICO DE GALLO NORTEñO

Pico de Gallo Norteño image

Provided by Zarela Martinez

Yield about 4 cups

Number Of Ingredients 8

2-4 jalapeño or serrano chiles or use more or less to taste, tops trimmed but not seeded
1 medium garlic clove
4 large, ripe fresh tomatoes, peeled but not seeded (about 2 ½ pounds)
6-8 scallions with part of green tops
¼ cup (not packed down) fresh cilantro leaves, stripped from stems
Juice of 1 large lime
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, or to taste

Steps:

With a large sharp knife, chop chiles very fine and reserve. Mince the garlic. Coarsely chop the tomatoes. Finely chop the scallions and cilantro. Place all fresh ingredients except chiles in a large bowl. If tomatoes are very dry and juiceless, gradually add up to ½ cup cold water to give a light salsa consistency. Stir to mix ingredients. Add chiles a little at a time, tasting, until it is as hot as you like. Add 1 teaspoon (or to taste) crumbled oregano. Squeeze lime juice into the salsa; gradually add salt to taste. Use at once.