Artichoke and Tomato Salsa

De Arbol (Capsicum Annuum) means tree like in Spanish. The plant has thick, upright, woody stems and the chile itself is narrow, curved and bright red in color. Believed to be closely related to the pequin, the De Arbol is thin fleshed, with tannic, smoky, grassy flavor and searing heat. This chile has a heat range of 7.5 on the heat scale of 1-10. De Arbol Chiles are comparable to a Cayenne Pepper. Scoville heat units 15,000 to 30,000.

Suggested Use:
De Arbol is a hot chile and a staple in Southwest kitchens. Add some heat to your next salsa or Mexican dish. Be adventurous and add them to your next stew or chili along with the other spices. Add some heat to your next salsa or Mexican dish.

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Ingredients:

14-1/2 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/4 medium chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. dry Italian dressing mix (such as Good Seasons)
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. capers
14-1/2 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper (de arbol)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 (6 oz.) bags plain baked pita chips

Instructions:

Combine the first 7 ingredients (through capers) in a mixing bowl. Stir in the tomatoes and crushed red pepper (de arbol) and garnish with some parsley. Serve with the pita chips.

Yields 12 servings (serving size: 1/4 cup salsa and 1 ounce pita chips).

Recipe by Catherine Broihier, MS, RD, and Kimberly Mayone as it appeared in Health Magazine, July 2006.