This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Walmart. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Hiya friends! How is your week going? We are chugging along here… The kids were off on Monday because of the hurricane over the weekend and M was also off yesterday for a teacher workday. So it’s been a bit of a strange week but a fun one! (They are old enough now to be able to mostly entertain themselves while I’m working and on deadline all morning, so it’s not too stressful.) I’ve been pretty busy with work this week and am already looking forward to the weekend. All we have planned is J’s soccer game Saturday morning, so some lounge time and relaxation are definitely happening. But now food. You are going to fall in love with today’s recipe for this easy fresh jalapeño relish! And you’re going to want to put it on ALL the foods! It’s slightly sweet, slightly spicy, slightly tangy and just ALL kinds of delicious! (You might also like this homemade pepper jelly for a fun appetizer/spread.) Also, you can adjust the level of heat in this recipe to make a sweet or spicy jalapeño relish. I’ve got all the tips below. We love using it for: burgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken or fish, nachos, tacos, wraps, sandwiches, rice bowls and even eggs. Can we say addictive? Can we say obsessed?! And I’m so happy to be supporting Walmart and their push to work with farmers and use locally grown produce in their stories. My local store here has gorgeous jalapeño peppers from Bailey Farms of Oxford, N.C. I love being able to buy my peppers local and support nearby farmers. (Especially when my backyard jalapeño plant hasn’t been, um, very fruitful this summer. I may need to give up on trying to garden in the backyard of this house.) Also, Walmart teamed up with five chefs across the country to drive awareness of using fresh, locally grown produce. The culinary program is called “Rediscovering America,” and it’s going to be made into a documentary! One of those chefs is Chef Kato of Upstream restaurant here in Charlotte. It’s been a long-time favorite seafood destination of mine. Chef Kato has been using these jalapeños on his menu all summer, and I’m honored to be part of this food-loving group showing off the beauty of fresh produce. Back to this relish though! There’s no cooking involved, and no canning is needed. And it’s just 5 ingredients and ready in 10 minutes! It’s going to be your new favorite flavor booster!
Recipe Notes:
To make a less spicy relish, remove all of the seeds and membranes from the jalapeños before adding them to the food processor. You can also taste the relish and add an extra squeeze of honey if desired for a sweet jalapeño relish. For a spicier relish, leave some of the seeds and membranes in for this dish. The more you leave in, the hotter it will be, so be careful! You can also add a few dashes of hot sauce to the final relish to adjust the level of heat. If you have whole garlic cloves, you can also roughly chop those and then throw them in with the jalapeños and red onions to get minced in the food processor. I use apple cider vinegar, which adds a bit of sweetness along with the acidity of the vinegar. You could also use white wine vinegar or regular vinegar and then add some extra honey to adjust the flavor at the end. Want a fruity twist? You can add pineapple or mango to this salsa to make a sweeter, fruity version of jalapeño relish. I’d add that before adding the honey and then taste to adjust to your liking.
In a nod to Chef Kato and his seafood bent, I also tried these over some seared scallops with charred corn and oh my word, was that a good decision! So, my friends, if you can’t grow a garden or hit up the farmer’s market, now you can just head to your local Walmart and check out their produce from nearby farms in your area! And definitely snag some jalapeños and try out this relish. You’ll be wanting to keep a jar of it on hand in the fridge at all times! Enjoy! XO, Kathryn P.S. If you are looking for other yummy jalapeño recipes, check these out:
Jalapeño cream cheese dip Mississippi caviar Summer corn salad Chicken breasts with jalapeño cheese sauce
To make a less spicy relish, remove all of the seeds and membranes from the jalapeños before adding them to the food processor. You can also taste the relish and add an extra squeeze of honey if desired for a sweet jalapeño relish. For a spicier relish, leave some of the seeds and membranes in for this dish. The more you leave in, the hotter it will be, so be careful! You can also add a few dashes of hot sauce to the final relish to adjust the level of heat. Start with two tablespoons of the vinegar and add the third as needed. It will depend on how much liquid your jalapeños gave off in the food processor. If you have whole garlic cloves, you can also roughly chop those and then throw them in with the jalapeños and red onions to get minced in the food processor. I use apple cider vinegar, which adds a bit of sweetness along with the acidity of the vinegar. You could also use white wine vinegar or regular vinegar and then add some extra honey to adjust the flavor at the end. Want a fruity twist? You can add pineapple or mango to this salsa to make a sweeter, fruity version of jalapeño relish. I’d add that before adding the honey and then taste to adjust to your liking. Use this jalapeño relish as a topping for burgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken or fish, nachos, tacos, wraps, sandwiches, rice bowls and even eggs.
