At its most basic, salsa contains chopped or pureed tomatoes, chilies, onions, and cilantro, flavored with salt and a squeeze of lime juice. But you can play with techniques and try as many different combinations of fruits and vegetables, chilies and herbs as you can possibly dream up.

Leaving everything raw will result in a salsa with a bright, refreshing taste. Raw salsa is also known as "salsa cruda." Roasting the tomatoes, garlic and/or chilies first will lend a rich, smoky flavor to your finished dish. If you cook the salsa, you'll trade in the fresh taste for a deeper, sweeter one.

Many people hesitate to make salsa because it involves lots of time-consuming chopping. A little chopping is unavoidable, but if you've got a food processor, you can use it to puree half or all of the tomatoes in your recipe.