We don’t always see a proper Fourth of July in San Francisco, but if peach salsa doesn’t scream summer, I don’t know what does.

It’s a holiday of grilling, which always drives me nuts, since I don’t have a grill nor space for one myself. (Grill pans and broilers don’t cut it on the 4th, honestly.) But here’s the answer: If you don’t have a grill, and your friends didn’t step up, throw together a batch of this deliciousness — then crash the neighbor’s yard party.

With many thanks to Mark Bittman, whose recipe I poached.

Summer Peach Salsa

3 good-size, firm peaches
1 red bell pepper
2 chiles in adobe, chopped finely or mashed with the back of a spoon
the juice of 2-3 limes, or more to taste
a large pile of chopped cilantro
a tsp or 2 of sugar, depending on the sweetness of your peaches
salt to taste

Wash but don’t bother to peel your peaches. Finely dice the peaches and the pepper (1/4 inch or smaller will work best if you want to pile the salsa on chips, but larger is fine if you plan to spoon it over your grillables). Avoid the urge to simply spoon the peaches directly into your mouth.

Mix the peaches and pepper gently with the rest of the ingredients, let rest a few minutes, then taste for seasoning and adjust as you like. Just make sure you don’t overwhelm the peaches!

Makes a few cups — enough for you and a few greedy friends (or strangers), or for a crowd, if you also made fresh guacamole. (We’ll be inhaling both at the beach tomorrow with fajitas and beer.)