Salsa - another recipe AND Oriental Lily Photos For You, 165/365

We have a wonderful "grocery" store called The Fresh Market which I love!  But a trip to the local Farmer's Market with produce from local farmers (and not so local) is always fun.

The salsa recipe today is sweet & spicy.  The following are the ingredients:

Sweet Apple & Spicy Chile Salsa

1 orange bell pepper, quartered, deseeded and membranes cut out
1 green bell pepper, quartered, deseeded and membranes cut out
1 green apple, quartered, cored and peeled
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1-2 fresh habanero chiles, halved, deseeded and membranes removed  (they are spicy and wear plastic disposable gloves when handling)
4 green onions, finely chopped
1 Tbsp maple syrup
2-3 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint

Of course, the hot sauce and chile should be to taste - this mixture, to me, is rather spicy.

Preheat the broiler and line the broiler pan with foil. Take the quartered orange and green peppers and cook in the broiler for 10 minutes or until the skins are blistered.   Remove and put the peppers into a plastic bag.  let cool for 10-15 minutes.  The skin should peel away nicely.  Finely chop the "meat".

Grate the apple coarsely and put it into a bowl.  Add the lemon juice and stir well as this will keep the apple from turning brown.  Add the bell peppers.  Finely chop the habanero chili and add to the bowl.  Mix ingredients.

Lightly over and let it sit for 30 minutes - DO NOT refrigerate.   Stir again.

I served this with pork medallions.  I put a dash of white pepper, ground red pepper and salt on the meat (1/2 inch thick - I had the butcher slice them for me) and cooked them in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes on each side.  Removed the pork and added 1/2 cup water and 1/4 cup honey to what was in the pan.  Cooked this over medium heat for about 4 minutes or until it started to thicken.  Returned pork to pan and simmered about 2 minutes, turning once.

Of course, you can also eat these with tortillas.  Please come back and visit next Saturday for another Salsa Recipe.  If you missed last week's, click on the "In the Kitchen" Photo on my side bar.

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Help yourself to the photos below.  You may download them or copy them to your photo archive to use in any way you wish.  All I ask is give me credit for the photo.  Thank you.

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And last, but NOT least

I don't usually accept blog awards anymore, because they often require me to list blogs I enjoy and HOW do I select from all the ones I LOVE?  But this award is from a special blog "Shine the Divine".  I have linked you to her "Welcome" page which explains her blog and what it is about - so after reading it, please click on her "Home" page for the most recent posts.  She is traveling a challenging and tough road but her insights to life and its struggles have inspired me and made me reflect upon my own life.   For me, to follow her blog is like a prayer.

I have decided to highlight NEW blogs of which I have recently become a follower.  I do NOT require that you list 8 blogs that you enjoy in order to accept the above reward, although that is what is "expected".  It is up to you.  If you do not wish to participate, there is NO need to let me know.  Just realize  I admire your words and work.  Note:  I noticed at least one of  you just recieved this award.  Consider it a double honor and just know you were double tapped and don't do the extra work of finding 8 more blogs!  Don't you like how I make up the rules as I go along?  ;)

8 New Blogs I Admire: (Click on each title to be transported to their blog)
The Run *A* Round Ranch Report
A Beautiful life in Texas - I used to live their for 3 years and I was a farmgirl growing up.  This blog is a breath of fresh air and creativity.

Kim Klassen Cafe
I have had this blog on my sidebar for a while, but just recently joined a Photoshop internet class that starts Monday.  I have a feeling it will change the way I approach what I do with my photographs!

Artistic Renderings by David Patterson
An artist that I greatly admire and hope to learn a lot from by following his work.

A Year with Rilke
I follow both hosts of this blog which is set up to follow the poet Rainer Maria Rilke.  The daily art work and comments are so inspiring and I have learned a lot about poetry... and life.

Mr. Know It All
This man knows how to have fun and has a "Friday Flash 55" creative writing challenge each Friday.  I have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of this fun!!

Artistic Adventures
Okay, I break my own rule here because she is my daughter!  :)

Songs for a New Millennium
... because he is my son!  :)

Fridge Soup
This blog is a very new find of mine, but many of the people who are the "cooks" I have followed for quite a while.  It is a compliation of whit and charm and I often loudly "gafaw" when reading this site, so beware if you are in public reading it.  Honestly, if nothing else was ever added to this site, it would be worth going through the archives!