George Mallet said it best, this homemade salsa is “the best salsa ever in the free world!” While that might be tricky to prove, it’s the local, fresh ingredients that make this salsa stand out from the rest. Susannah Slabaugh, Co-owner of Poole Mill Produce, joined us today to make the salsa.

Slabaugh said the secrets to the salsa’s flavor are using fresh, ripe tomatoes and adding cilantro for taste. The full list of ingredients include red and orange tomatoes, onions, cilantro, spices, and whatever else is in season, like green peppers or sweet corn. The tomatoes on Slabaugh’s farm are grown in a greenhouse without pesticides.

Local produce like the tomatoes at Poole Mill Produce is available for purchase and delivery across Indiana through Market Wagon. Nick Carter, CEO and Co-founder of Market Wagon, let us know that Market Wagon delivers to every home in a 19-county region of Central Indiana including Lafayette, Kokomo, Muncie, Columbus and Bloomington every Tuesday and Thursday. And whether you buy one item or one hundred items from different farmers, the delivery fee is a flat $6.95.

You can browse the 3,600+ local foods from 190+ farmers on Market Wagon here.

For a full look at the Market Wagon delivery map click here.

Grilled Cherry-Chipotle Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Salsa (Serves 4)

This is an easy yet impressive recipe for summer if you don’t have a lot of time. Gina Ferwerda, recipe developer and cookbook author says, you can marinate this ahead of time and when you are ready to grill, this dish can be ready in less than 30 minutes. If you’re looking for a go-to salsa, this is her favorite recipe, whether or not you have fresh cherries. The adobo sauce is spicy, but brown sugar and cherries tone it down. 

Ingredients:

1 whole pork tenderloin (approximately 1 pound) 

Marinade

• ½ cup vegetable oil 
• ½ cup tart Montmorency cherry juice
• ¼ cup brown sugar 
• Juice and zest of 2 limes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced  
• 2 tablespoons adobo sauce 
• 1 teaspoon salt

Cherry Salsa

• 6 vine-ripened tomatoes, cored (or 28 ounces canned tomatoes) 
• ½ small onion, peeled (¼ cup) 
• 1 small jalapeño, trimmed and seeded 
• 2 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon House Seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic, onion and smoked paprika)
• 1 cup sweet cherries, pitted and divided use
• Trim any fat or silverskin from the pork.

MAKE MARINADE

In a small bowl, mix together all marinade ingredients. Reserve 2 tablespoons of marinade, and pour the rest over the pork tenderloin in a resealable bag. Refrigerate the bag for at least 2 hours, or up to 12.   

MAKE SALSA

Add all Cherry Salsa ingredients, except for ½ cup of the sweet cherries, to a food processor. Roughly chop the reserved cherries and set aside. Process the salsa ingredients for 20 to 30 seconds. Pour the salsa into a small bowl, then mix in the remaining chopped cherries. Cover and refrigerate until assembly.  

PREPARE PORK

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. 

Remove pork from marinade, and discard used marinade. Grill pork for 12 to 15 minutes, turning halfway through. Brush the pork with the reserved 2 tablespoons of marinade while grilling. Remove from grill, lightly tent with foil and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. (Internal temperature should reach 145ºF for a slight pink inside or up to 160ºF for well-done.) 

ASSEMBLE

Place pork on a cutting board and cut into desired slices. Sprinkle cut slices with Smoked House Seasoning. Drizzle ½ cup cherry salsa over pork, and garnish with fresh cilantro. 

NOTE

1 cup sweet cherries = approximately 20 cherries 

Salsa makes approximately 3 cups. 

Oven-roasting instead of grilling: Heat a cast-iron skillet to medium heat and add marinated pork tenderloin. Cook for 1 minute each side, or until browned, then transfer to oven at 400º F for 20 to 30 minutes.

For more from Gina visit her website, Facebook and Instagram.

If you missed Taco Tuesday, don’t worry, you’ll want to have it today after you see Firefighter Tim’s recipes for oven roasted shredded pork street tacos and a cast iron roasted salsa.

Taco Ingredients:

• Pork tacos
• Ingredients
• 1 pork tenderloin
• 1/2 can rotel tomatoes
• 1/2 a sweet onion
• Adobo seasoning to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Chipotle powder taste
• Pour of Mexican beer
• 1 lime squeezed
• Carne asada Seasoning to taste
• Pinch Hungarian paprika
• Pour liquid smoke
• Corn tortillas
• Shredded cheese
• Shredded lettuce or cabbage
• Black beans
• Salsa

Directions:

Dice and sauté onions. Sear tenderloin with onion on all sides.  Deglaze pan with lime juice, beer and liquid smoke.  Place in over at 235 degrees for 5-7 hours.  Shred and place on corn tortillas with desired toppings

Salsa Ingredients:

• 3 large ripe tomatoes
• 1 sweet onion
• 1/2 a red onion
• 2 tomatillos
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 of a lime, squeezed
• 1 jalapeño, seeded
• 1 Anaheim pepper
• 1 Bell pepper of your choice
• A bunch of cilantro
• Pinch of cumin
• Salt to taste

Directions:

Oil a cast iron skillet and get it hot. Place all veggies and tomatoes in skillet. Sear them on all sides. Place skillet in oven on high broil for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove all veggies and leave tomatoes. Place other veggies in blender and let tomatoes broil for another 5 minutes. Remove tomatoes and place in blender. Add cilantro to blender. Blend.  Squeeze 1/2 lime and salt to taste. Pulse blend to desired taste. Enjoy!