This Black and Gold Salsa is perfect for Iowa Hawkeye tailgating

Any football fan knows tailgating is serious business — it's half the fun of the game itself.

With that in mind, The Gazette is sharing some of its favorite tailgating recipes and seeking new ones, as part of our Tailgating Recipe Contest.

Click Here to Enter the Recipe Contest

Have a favorite Tailgating Recipe you can share? Enter to win a pair of Iowa Football tickets for a game in October 2019 and a $150 Hy-Vee Gift Card.

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To inspire you, here's a recipe from The Gazette archives:

Hawkeye Black and Gold Salsa

Serve this as a topping over your favorite grilled meats or an appetizer with tortilla chips.

• 1 can (15 ounce) black beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 can (15 ounce) corn, drained

• 1 cup seeded and diced cucumber (1 medium)

• 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced

• 1/2 cup chopped scallion tops

• 1/3 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice (about 2 limes)

• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro

• 1 tablespoon canola oil

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 teaspoon cumin

• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pureed chipotle pepper in adobo sauce

In medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for several hours to blend flavors.

Serve over grilled pork, smoked bratwursts, grilled chicken or salmon. Or, serve with tortilla chips.

Extra Points

1. Be sure the rinse the black beans or you may have a muddy-looking salsa.

2. Chipotle peppers are roasted jalapenos that adds a nice smoky flavor, but be careful ... a little goes a long way.

3. Make a double batch of this recipe and serve it as a side salad.

Source: 'Tailgates to Touchdowns: Fabulous Football Foods' by Nina Swan-Kohler

Want more recipes? Try these:

• Breakfast casserole

• Pregame Pinwheels

• Black and Gold Salsa