One of Calgary’s older neighbourhoods, Kensington, has been hosting it’s Annual Sun & Salsa Festival for as long as I can remember. The first time I attended was back in 2002! I love that you can bring the kids along and participate as a family in trying different salsas. Upwards of 20 local restaurants, pubs and cafes participate in the festival, making a fresh batch of their best salsa for the public to sample, and then we the public, are tasked at voting for the salsa we liked best.
There are always some crazy and unique creations. Most super delicious, but also inspiring. You can buy chips there, with proceeds going to charity. Or if you are watching your funds, bring your own bag along. From kids activities, to street performers and dancers, vendors tables, free samples, free fruit, games and balloons artists, there really is a ton of stuff to do. Another treat is the Food Trucks. There are a handful on site to feed you when you get hungry and can’t get into a restaurant and/or on their patio.
My only advice is get there early. Each year this festival gets busier, and by mid afternoon one can almost feel like they are in a sardine tin can walking along the main streets. This is usually our signal that it’s time to go, as it’s no longer fun for the kidlets. This festival typically happens during the summer months, when it’s hot out, so come prepared with sunscreen, hats, and lots of water!
When I used to live in Vancouver, I used to love exploring the Vancouver Province Newspaper during lunch. Of course there was a food/recipe section and it was all that mattered to me back in the day. Whenever I would find a recipe I was interested in, I would cut the recipe out, eventually photocopy it and add it to the “must try” section of my recipe box. It was quite the process back in those days, the days before food blogs, bloggers and foodies alike. More proof that even back in the 1990’s food was a big part of my world.
So in my repertoire of old recipes, somewhere I have a cut out cucumber and tomato salsa. I remember this because we renovated one of our pantries recently and as such everything had to be hauled out and sorted. Not like I got distracted going through recipes or anything. This particular recipe involves vinegar, something I’ve never used in a salsa before. So on a whim I wanted some salsa to pair with our Cumin Steak with Black Beans. I whipped up a quick cucumber and tomato salsa and this recipe was born.
There’s so much you can do with salsa whether you are roasting, toasting or making it fresh. This salsa is super duper easy. Keep it easy or add in a few of the extras I talk about below.
The Sun & Salsa Festival in Kensington returns on Sunday, July 20, 2014. It’s a great way to try some new salsa flavours, support the community and get inspired to make your own salsa at home.
Ingredients
- 3-4 mini cucumbers chopped (roughly 1 cup)
- 2-3 roma tomatoes seeded and chopped (1 cup)
- 2 green onions sliced thin
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon or lime juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add all ingredients into a bowl and stir. Taste for seasoning and add more salt as necessary.
- You can eat as is, or let it sit for a couple hours allowing flavours to blend.
Notes
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