That’s
right, raspberry! Red Raspberry! It’s sitting there in little sample plates next to
its cousin, the cherry salsa and a bowl of tortilla chips, during a busy afternoon
at the loop Farmers Market in Chicago Il. And you know what? It’s spicy and
it's good. Ok, maybe it’s not that spicy, I mean I like habanera and ghost peppers,
but for a Midwesterner or someone not raised on the border of Texas and Mexico like
me, this might kick some of your taste buds around . . . in a very nice and
refreshing way. It’s like a raspberry Molotov cocktail for your tongue.
Ka-boom! Flavor is all over the place. The Stover’s sales guy is yelling
suggestions to people sampling salsas and looking at organic produce, “Put it
on your burgers, sandwiches, steaks.” He’s pacing back and forth eying Miranda[1] and me. “Raspberry
salsa!” he reminds us, I’m tasting all the other salsas, and debate on getting a
soft drink. His hands are moving without direction or purpose into the air,
over his head and grabbing the pillars that hold up his tent. He wants to make
sure we leave with a jar today. He repeats himself about putting it on a burger while
I take my third taste of this delightful salsa and tell him I’m vegan, he says,
“Put it on your tofu.” I think that’s not a bad idea. Miranda suggests getting
some to make sandwiches with, only instead of tofu, she says, “Tempeh,”
in a tone of voice that suggests she just invented the A-Bomb. And why not? If you like sweet
and spicy food like Lorena Picosito[2] on your fruit salad then why
not Stover’s Red Raspberry Salsa? I like Lorena Picosito, and Lucas Chamoy all
over my jicama and apple chunks--nasty style, with a bit of lime and a shit tasting
beer on the side. Heck, add some spice to my beer too. It’s a bit pricier than
your standard grocery store salsa, but you’re getting this from the source.
It’s all fresh and all natural too. It’s very much worth the six bucks. I
know every ingredient without a dictionary on this Farmers Market delicacy.
Thus we grab a jar of the simply labeled salsa, some more produce (including a
ghost pepper for one dollar) and we head home to make our sandwiches:
· Two slices of whole grain bread slightly grilled with vegan Earth Balance margarine.
· Several Temphe bacon strips (I like the BBQ ones) fried in a light amount of olive oil.
· Lettuce, tomato, Daiya Cheese, and a bit of ghost pepper for me, just enough to make my eyes swell up with tears but not trickle out.
The Salsa hardly lasted a week and I really tried. Raspberry Salsa: Awesome product, awesome Salsa!
Visit Their Site for online shopping, products, a very interesting history and Farmer's Market locations.
Stover's Farm Market: http://www.stoversupic.com/index.html/index.php
[1]
Miranda is a writer/artist as well as my girlfriend and fellow art adventurer.
[2] Lorena
Picosito: This stuff is the bomb! A delicious Mexican candied powder made of sugar, Salt and Chili,
it’s spicy and sweet, and will tear up the roof of your mouth if you eat too
much in one sitting. It’s great on jicama and melon, other fruits too and it’s
great all by itself.
