The Brookhaven Boys & Girls Club culinary team was the top winner in the recent salsa competition with their “Roasted Tomato Salsa” that will be featured at a local Willy’s restaurant this summer.
The team members made the salsa with tomatoes, basil, cucumbers, peppers and onions they grew in their own garden at the club.
The competition was held July 11 at Piedmont Park where dozens of children and teens competed in the cooking event. The Brookhaven team also won the “People’s Choice” award this year.
“Many kids, particularly from low-income neighborhoods, do not have access to healthy food and safe places to play,” said Rodney Taylor, Healthy Lifestyles Director at Brookhaven Boys & Girls Club, in a press release. “Programs like this teach our kids that eating right and staying active can be fun. They help kids build healthy habits now we hope will stay with them for a lifetime.”
“Salsa, Salsa” is an annual Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta event that celebrates eating right and staying active and highlights cooking and gardening programs at Clubs across the city. Seventeen Boys & Girls Clubs participated in this year’s event, competing to create the best salsa in the city and learning dance steps from a professional salsa dancer.
The Brookhaven Boys & Girls Club is for sale with plans to move to Chamblee.
The Brookhaven Club’s Roasted Tomato Salsa recipe:
1 1⁄2 – 2 lbs. Fresh tomatoes
1 Med. Sweet onion
1 Serrano pepper
1 Jalapeño pepper
1⁄2 – 1 Lime (according to taste)
1⁄2 Bunch of fresh cilantro (stems removed)
1 Tlbs. Black pepper
2 tsp. Salt
4 Cloves garlic
1 tsp. Cumin
1 – 1 1⁄2 tsp. Honey
Directions:
1. Roast the tomatoes, onion and peppers on the grill until the outside is charred and the tomatoes start to split.
2. Cut the ends off the tomatoes and the stems from the peppers. 3. Remove the seeds from the peppers (unless you like it really hot)
4. Cut the onions into wedges
5. Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until it reaches desired consistency.