WEEK #35 August 30th, 2021
Dear Customers,
According to the Gregorian Calendar, the one most widely used in the world today since the year 1582, Summer begins on or about June 21st and concludes some three months later on September 21st or 22nd. It is a solar calendar based upon the Earth’s revolution around the sun. It features 365 days divided into 12 months of irregular length. There are 52 or 53, 7-day weeks and every four years, we add an extra day so that everything comes out mathematically correct!
But depending upon where you live in this great country of ours, seasonal weather doesn’t exactly line up with the Gregorian seasons. For instance, if you have school age children summer starts on Memorial Day and ends on Labor Day! This weekend is therefore the de facto end of that glorious three month stretch.
Many people choose to celebrate the final “summer” holiday with a family get-together, a picnic or even a backyard barbeque. The next few weeks are full of activities which makes any of those previously mentioned pursuits hard to schedule at best. Costa’s Supermarket will be open the entire weekend offering our normal hours to make your holiday shopping experience convenient no matter what your plans turn out to be.
An excellent segue from summer to autumn is a fresh batch of homemade salsa. This recipe for Black Bean Salsa is delicious and simple to make. I prefer using “Scoops” when I eat salsa or dip because they hold a lot more. People who daintily dunk their flat tortilla chip into the bowl so that the salsa barely touches any part of the chip might as well just eat them plain!
FRESH BLACK BEAN SALSA
- 15oz can Bush’s Black Beans – rinsed & drained
- 8oz can of shoepeg corn, drained
- 5oz can of diced tomatoes (basil, garlic & oregano flavored)
- 10oz can of Rot-tel diced tomatoes (with chiles)
- 8 oz of Italian dressing
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 large jalapeño, sliced (or chopped)
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate for at least 90 minutes. Stir and serve (with your favorite chips!
Fresh salsa is one of those side dishes or even an appetizer that goes with practically any entrée – be it beef, pork or chicken. Of course, you can customize this recipe to include any or all of your additional favorites. Garden tomatoes ripe already? Dice ‘em up and put ‘em in there. The same goes for corn, onions or jalapenos. Many people have those items already in their gardens so it doesn’t make a lot of sense to purchase the canned varieties. Those garden options really put the “fresh” in Fresh Salsa!