The four tomato plants you placed in your garden are still kicking out those tasty and healthy red globulars faster than Brett Favre can come out of retirement. What is a gardener supposed to do after you've canned everything you need and more and still have baskets burgeoning with your fall bounty?

How about making some salsa, which can provide a tasty zing to a variety of foods, or can stand by itself with crackers, cheese and fruit. Salsa also may be frozen for a year, so you don't have to pull out all of that canning equipment again.

North Dakota State University Williams County extension agent Mary Froelich and McKenzie County extension agent Marcia Hellandsaas recently guided nine area women through the steps to make salsa. The group gathered in the Williston High School Family Consumer Science lab to first learn some tips before getting out the knives and chopping boards.

Froelich said salsa has exploded in popularity, in part due to the fact that a two tablespoon serving of salsa has just 10 calories and 0 grams of fat. Salsa also is full of vitamin C, potassium and other nutrients.

For those who aren't raising their own tomatoes and are buying from a store or farmer's market, she said, "you always want to make sure you're looking for fresh, high-quality produce." The type of tomato chosen also impacts the quality and the texture of salsa, Froelich said. Paste/Italian tomatoes like the "Roma" produce a thicker salsa, while slicing tomatoes result in a thinner, watery salsa, she said.

When considering tomatoes for salsa, you should look for a rosy color, plump shape, no blemishes and a texture that's slightly soft to the touch, she said.

When it comes to selecting the right pepper for salsa, "We do have more varieties of peppers now," she said.

Peppers also are full of vitamin C, but it's the heat they provide that garner their importance for salsa. She said people "are becoming more used to the spicier foods. It's becoming more of a trend."

Size is a good indicator of how hot a pepper is, Froelich said.

"Generally, the smaller the pepper, the hotter it will taste," she said.

When working with salsa recipes, Froelich said peppers are interchangeable.

"You can change the kind, but don't change the amount," of peppers used, she said. "That's where you can experiment and try the different kinds."

As with tomatoes, choose peppers that look fresh. Peppers also should be firm, thick and free of disease and insect damage.

Preparing the peppers, however, requires some added care, especially the hot peppers. Wearing thin rubber gloves is recommended to avoid direct skin contact with hot peppers because the pepper oils may cause skin irritations or burns.

Many hot peppers don't require peeling, but the seeds are often removed.

Onions and garlic also influence salsa's taste and texture. Firm onions that are free from cuts and bruises are best, and fresh onions usually have thinner skins, she said.Garlic heads should be firm and not showing green growth.

Cilantro is the last primary component for salsa.

"That's another thing we didn't have in our stores not that long ago," she said of cilantro and the wider variety of peppers that may be found today.

Printed materials for making salsa may be obtained at the Williams County Extension Office on the second floor of the Williams County Courthouse.

Salsa recipe

1-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/3 large onion, finely chopped

1/2 large green bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2 to one whole jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

3-4 large Roma tomatoes, chopped

1 small bunch of cilantro leaves, finally chopped

Juice from 1/4 lemon

Mix ingredients together and serve, altering the recipe to suit your own taste.

This salsa may be stored in the refrigerator and used within a couple of weeks. It also may be immediately placed in freezer-safe containers and frozen. Frozen salsa should be used within a year for best taste and texture.