Caribbean Salsa

Steps

1. Grill the three scallions and one green scotch bonnet pepper on a grill pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until they develop nice char marks.
2. Remove the charred scallions from the heat.
3. Place the three Roma tomatoes in the grill pan and grill them all around until fully cooked through.
4. In a mortar and pestle, roughly chop three cloves of garlic. Add sea salt to the mortar and pestle.
5. Cut about half of the charred scotch bonnet pepper into pieces. Crush this with the garlic and salt using the mortar and pestle until you achieve a smooth or chunky paste (wear gloves when handling).
6. Chop the cherry tomatoes into small pieces; these will add texture to the salsa.
7. In a large bowl, combine all the chopped ingredients: the roasted Roma tomatoes, the grilled scallions, the crushed scotch bonnet and garlic mixture, and the chopped cherry tomatoes.
8. Add fresh lemon juice and cilantro (or culantro/shadow beni) to the bowl. Toss everything together gently.
9. Stir in fresh ground black pepper and scrape out all the contents of the mortar and pestle into the bowl.
10. Take one of the roasted Roma tomatoes and crush it into a nice smooth paste using the mortar and pestle, then pour this paste into the large mixing bowl along with the other two roasted tomatoes.
11. Taste the salsa for salt and adjust as needed. Add a splash of olive oil and diced avocado to the bowl.
12. Gently fold all ingredients together until everything is well combined.