Pico de Gallo

This chunky tomato salsa, literally “beak of the rooster,” is all about freshness; it is best when made from scratch and eaten the day it’s made. Look for ripe, plump tomatoes that have never seen the inside of the refrigerator (cold temperatures make tomato flesh mealy). Be sure to scoop out the seeds from the tomatoes as you chop them, or the salsa will be watery, which equals soggy tacos. You can make the salsa milder by removing the seeds and pale inner ribs from the jalapeno.