Well at least the salsa was good.

Recently i've come to the realization that i am a reluctant fan of westerns. I downloaded The Good The Bad and The Ugly with every intention of watching it, but constantly passed it up to watch something else. And yet, when i finally forced myself to sit through it i was blown away by how much i enjoyed that movie. and so, when our random number generator selected Butch Casidy and The Sundance Kid i was stoked! having accepted my love of the western, i was ready to be blown away by this classic movie that tops almost every "must See" list out there.

Two good things came from watching this movie. I got it over with, and i discovered a cure for my insomnia. I don't know if it was the mood we were in, or if the ber had gone to out heads, but Mo her husband and myself spent more time yawning, and watching the clock than actually enjoying the movie. I'm still not sure which part is supposed to be so great, was it the 27 minute long chase scene? How many times did they have to drive home the fact that Butch and the Kidd were in deep shit? They actually stop three or four times to consider the men chasing them, and each time their conclusion is "well, better keep running". Finally they escape by jumping off a cliff into the river below. If only that river could have been a bed of rocks i may have saved 45 minutes of my life.My favorite part (asides from the ending) was the opening tavern scene. Watch it on youtube, and then move on to somthing better. you're not missing anything.

But all sarcasm aside, i would love for someone to explain why this movie is so well regarded. What is done in this film that isn't done ten times better in other movies?

To go with southwestern feel of the movie, Mo made up a batch of her simple yet delicious salsa (with some cilantro from my very own garden). Its was amazing, and as always salsa and beer make a perfect couple.




Ingredients:

•6 medium fresh heirloom tomatoes, halved (why heirloom tomatoes?)
•4 jalapeno peppers, 2 cored and halved, 2 finely diced with core
•4-6 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
•1 Tablespoon oil
•1 large sweet onion, diced
•3/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
•juice of 1/2 lime
•2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
•1 tbsp salt
•1 tsp concentrated hickory smoke flavor



Preparation Instructions:



1. Wash all vegetables and take the skin off of the onion.

2. In your oven, place a rack as close to the top broiler elements as you can. Turn the oven to broil (the highest setting) and let it warm up for 4-5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, halve two of the jalapeno peppers lengthwise and remove the seeds and stems from them (setting two whole peppers aside for later). Halve all of the tomatoes vertically. Lay all of the halved tomatoes and the two halved jalapeno peppers cut-side down on a baking sheet or broiler pan that can withstand high heat and will not be ruined if juices burn to it.

4. Place the pan of vegetables on the top rack and let them sear until their skins are black and smoking. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

5. Meanwhile, roast the garlic cloves, in their skins, in a small saucepan or skillet on medium-low (low on a gas range). Toss the unpeeled cloves in the pan with about 1 tbsp of oil. Let the cloves roast slowly, tossing them frequently, until all sides are a rich, golden brown. The cloves should feel soft in their skins when pressed with a spoon. It may take as long as 15 minutes.

6. When the tomatoes and jalapeno peppers are cool enough to handle, peel the skin off of the halves and peel any burnt skin off of the peppers. Remove as many seeds from the tomatoes as you can, then dice them. Drain the tomatoes of juice and remove any more seeds. Finely dice both the roasted jalapeno peppers and the non-roasted peppers. Peel and crush the roasted garlic. Dice the onion and chop the cilantro.

7. Mix all of the diced vegetables together in a bowl. Squeeze the 1/2 lime over it, add the apple cider vinegar, salt, and hickory smoke flavor. Mix well.

8. If you like a chunky salsa, you are done. For a smoother salsa with a better mix of flavor, put the ingredients into a food processor or blender and process until you reach the desired consistency.