Week 9: Blueberry Salsa and Cilantro-Basil Sauce

As CSA weeks go, this one was a bit ho-hum: Light on the produce -- corn, cucumbers, a single beet (goodness, what is the point of a single beet?); and heavy on the herbs -- cilantro, basil, and dill. So it was a herb-filled week all around.

Most of the dill, and all of the cucumbers, were dispatched in the form of pickles. We had corn with basil; cole slaw with dill and basil (using up Week 8's cabbage); vegetarian chili with corn and cilantro; a cilantro-basil sauce for fish; and a fruity salsa with more cilantro and basil.

I’ve hit overload with these herbs, and I still have some dill and basil to carry into Week 10. Oy. At least the food's been tasty. The cilantro-basil sauce was delicious over a pan-seared tuna steak, and would be equally good over poultry or beef or with Indian food. The salsa would work with chicken as well, but we just ate it with tortilla chips. I happened to pick up the blue-corn kind, but I don’t really recommend doing that: color-wise, the chips and the salsa match a little too well.

(I apparently go for fruit salsas. Here are recipes for Peach-Pepper Salsa for now and Apple Salsa for closer to the fall.)

Blueberry Salsa

(Adapted from Jones Family Farms)

3 cups blueberries, washed and dried (divided use)

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 small jalapeno pepper, chopped; seeds and membrane removed before chopping if you desire less heat

1/2 cup (packed) basil leaves, slivered

1/2 cup (packed) cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

3 Tbsp fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)

1/2 tsp coarse salt, or to taste

Place 2 cups of blueberries in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add onion, jalapeno, and herbs to food processor and pulse again to combine ingredients. Remove to bowl. Stir in lime, salt, and remaining blueberries. Allow flavors to blend one-half hour or more.

Cilantro-Basil Sauce

(Adapted from Laurie Constantino)

1 cup (packed) cilantro leaves

1/4 cup (packed) basil leaves

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped; seeds and membrane removed before chopping if you desire less heat

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

2 Tbsp water

Put all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Serve sauce over fish, beef, chicken, vegetables, or what-have-you.