Spicy Blackened Salsa

My friend Ophelia from San Mateo told me that the real key to great salsa is the pepper. She would never use a jalapeno in salsa believing they leave a bitter after taste and are not spicy enough. Chile de Arbol is a slender red pepper with lots of heat. Add more or less peppers depending on your tolerance for heat. After moving to Pennsylvania, I couldn't always find Chile de Arbol so I tried Chipotle Chiles as a substitute. I like the smoky flavor and the heat from these peppers as well. Ophelia believed you could never add too much garlic to your salsa so add as much as you like!

5 medium tomatoes
1-15oz can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
handful dried chile de arbol or dried chipotle chiles
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice
1/2 medium onion, cut into large chunks
6-10 garlic cloves, minced

Quarter 3-4 tomatoes. Spray broiler pan with cooking spray and place quartered tomatoes, onion and 2-3 garlic cloves on pan. Roast at 450 or under the broiler until tomatoes are blackened. Meanwhile, combine cilantro, chile, salt, vinegar, garlic and canned tomatoes in food processor. When tomatoes are blackened, add blackened tomatoes, onion and garlic to food processor. Process until smooth. You can serve the salsa as is or if you prefer a chunkier salsa, dice the remaining tomatoes and stir into processed mixture. Serve with chips. As with most salsas, the flavors develop as they sit. Salsa will be spicier the next day. Keep covered and refrigerated.