I'm quite pleased with this salsa with hominy and blueberries that is way too easy to eat and so simple to make. ...Now if I wanted, I could have added some orange zest-which in actuality would work quite well with this hominy salsa.
Then I would have had Broncos salsa with the blue and orange-well-you can see where my mind is!
It was a lunch at Tocabe that got my creative juices flowing.
The simple journey to Tocabe-not really a diner and certainly not a dive, of Guy Fieri fame-was a fun lunch with some fellow bloggers.
I had been wanting to eat there for some time, but up until now their location was a drive.
The second location is much closer and I can't wait to stop by again for some of their grilled bannocks.
Freshly baked bread grilled over an open flame is my idea of deadly. One might tend to think of Tocabe as another burrito kind of fast food restaurant, but it really is a great outpost that features American Indian food from the Osage nation.
In fact there are just a handful of American Indian restaurants in the entire U.S..
Think fry bread, buffalo ribs, green chile stew, and even Wojapi- a berry jam to eat with their great fry bread or bannocks.
Tocabe, (which means blue and is the owner's mother's favorite color) has salsas that vary with the seasons, to add to your choice of beef, chicken or bison, Indian fry bread.
I gravitated toward the hominy salsa because I'd never had anything like it before.
I could have had fresh green chilies, so that was a hard decision! Hominy is dried field corn which has been cooked in a mixture of lye, slaked lime or wood ash. It is then washed, dried and powdered-just like a baby's butt- and generally made into masa.
Without masa, we wouldn't have those great foods we call tortillas! I love hominy and don't use it enough.
It is great in cheesy green chile casseroles. It is great in soup and mixed with corn. Use it in most recipes in place of beans. Or with beans. I think you got the picture, right?
I love the simplicity of this salsa. Tocabe's contains cranberries, but I had dried blueberries on hand and they worked perfectly.
Leftovers the next day were even better as the blueberries had time to plump up a bit.
We devoured this with some of those lime tortilla chips, that Manservant has been eating by the bag. (I know there was a reason I stopped buying them long ago!)
I also bought some spicy blue corn chips because-well-I love spicy blue corn chips! And they look pretty mixed with the white ones!
I don't actually have Tocabe's recipe so you will have to visit and tell me whose you like better. I won't be offended as long as it is a tie!
Recipe
Salsa with Hominy and Blueberries
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 Servings 1x
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Counter Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
Salsa with hominy and blueberries is a fun new way to eat salsa. Adapted from an American Indian recipe, this salsa with hominy and blueberries is really good!
Ingredients
1 15 oz can of hominy, drained and rinsed then slightly chopped
3 T diced red onion
2-3 T chopped cilantro
1 chopped chipotle with 1-2 T chipotle sauce from the can
3 T dried blueberries, cranberries or pomegranate arils
Juice of ½ a lime
Chips to serve this with!
Instructions
Mix together all ingredients in a bowl. That's it!
If you want to let this sit overnight to let the flavors develop, feel free! Or eat it now!
And you could always do take out from Tocabe!
SavoringTime in the Kitchen says
Oh my, the blueberries sound wonderful in this salsa, Abbe! It would taste wonderful with some blue corn tortilla chips 🙂
Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
What a genius idea. Love this hearty, comfy and delicious bowl. Can't wait to try!
Sue/the view from great island says
You are so creative --- I collect salsa recipes and I think I could live on it for weeks on end --- love the unusual ingredients in this one!
Chris Scheuer says
I love hominy but never thought to use it in a salsa. YUM!
Sugar et al. says
This is totally new to me. I must be living under a rock because it looks and sounds incredible!I so wish I could taste it...going to be on the lookout for hominy!
Laura Dembowski says
I have never heard of Tocabe, but I'll take some salsa and fry bread please! This is such a great spin on traditional salsa.
Cheri Savory Spoon says
Hi Abbe, love the sound of this salsa, the way you describe it makes me want to go out and buy the ingredients now, though I have never cooked with hominy before. That restaurant sounds amazing.
Donalyn@The Creekside Cook says
Hominy is just an awesome ingredient to work with, so I imagine this is delightful - thanks so much for sharing!
Abbe Odenwalder says
I agree Donalyn! I really should do more with it!
Liz Berg says
Even without the orange zest, it's the perfect salsa to eat while watching the Broncos win!!!
Abbe Odenwalder says
Like that positive spirit, Liz!
Angie Schneider says
How delicious and I too love the simplicity of this great salsa!
Abbe Odenwalder says
Thanks Angie! Simple is sometimes the best!
Holly @ abakershouse.com says
I have a bag of dried blueberries just waiting for the right recipe and here it is! I really enjoyed lunch at Tocabe and have gone back since. Let me know when you'd like to meet there again, I'd love to!
Abbe Odenwalder says
Sounds good to me! Now get those blueberries out!
Kitchen Riffs says
Wow, hominy and blueberries?! What a mind blowing combo! Would NEVER have thought of that -- sounds terrific, though. Sounds like you had a fun lunch! Thanks for the comment.
Abbe Odenwalder says
It really did taste great. Love the sweetness of the blueberries combined with the spicy of the chipotle and the hominy pulls it all together! Thanks John!
Karen Harris says
I love hominy in my salsa, in fact, I love hominy in most anything you want to put it in. I'll take your word for the blueberries. Pretty colors. Save me some.
Abbe Odenwalder says
The blueberries are what makes this! Trust me! And it is all gone!