I like corn salsa. It is best made in the summertime with fresh vegetables. Red tomatoes in the winter don't taste as good as tomatoes fresh from the garden. That goes for sweet corn, too. We like sweet corn freshly cut from the cob and fried with butter, salt and sugar. Oh well, that is another dish. For this salsa, canned whole kernel corn can be used as well. I learned to appreciate red onions while working at Arby's in Halls. I was introduced to jalapeno peppers when we moved to Tennessee. Before that, I only used the yellow hot banana peppers.

It is amazing to look back on my cooking habits of the past and see how I limited myself to tried and true recipes, hesitating to try anything new. For instance, I remember at the end of World War II when the returning soldiers reminisced about having pizza in Italy. They wondered why it couldn't found in area restaurants. They were the ones who pushed it to be served. The first time I tasted pizza, I wondered what was so great about a thin slice of bread with a tomato laced topping on it. Cheese wasn't a big part of our diet back then. Pizza in those days didn't have the variety of toppings we see now. Now, the commercials on TV make you want get off the couch, go to the phone and order a big one.

But I'm getting away from salsa, a gift from south of the border. If you leave the vegetables in larger pieces, it makes a good vegetable salad. I like it either way. Also, you can use the corn kernels raw. They are delicious that way, too. Play with this recipe. Sweet bell peppers can be used with or instead of the jalapeno pepper.

HOMEMADE CORN SALSA
4 chopped tomatoes (4 ½ lbs)
1 cup raw or cooked fresh corn kernels
¼ cup minced red onion
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
1 finely minced fres.h jalapeno pepper
¼ cup Italian dressing

Combine tomatoes, corn, onion, cilantro and jalapeno pepper in medium bowl. Add dressing. Mix lightly. Chill. Makes 3 cups. (358 words)