Summer Tomato Gardening
Across the street at Flora Gardens nursery this spring, Tomatomania! blew out a slew of heirloom, hybrid and “garden variety” lycopersicum transplants. Take a wild guess. They were probably dealing Ze...
Recipes by Scott Daigre and Mark Donofrio adapted from Tomatomania! A Fresh Approach to Celebrating Tomatoes in the Garden and in the Kitchen by Scott Daigre and Jenn Garbee.
Special thanks to Houwelings in Oxnard, Underwood Family Farms in Somis, and Rainbow Bridge Market in Ojai for providing tomatoes for these photographs.
Each season we choose a Tomato of the Year (TOTY) based on its garden performance and overall lusciousness during a given summer season. Our first-ever TOTY was Madame Marmande, a wonderful red beefsteak—the cross of a modern tomato and a time-honored heirloom. While we love this tomato for this Bloody Mary—style cocktail, you can use whatever is lusciously, perfectly, amazingly ripe in your garden.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces high-quality blanco (silver) tequila (try Ventura Spirits’ La Paloma)
- ½ cup Top of the Pot stock* (fresh tomato juice can be used instead)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon horseradish
- 3 dashes garlicky chili sauce such as sriracha, Tabasco, or Underwood Ranches Rojo Hot Sauce
- Nasturtiums and fresh lime for garnish
Preparation
Chill highball glass in freezer for 5 minutes. Combine tequila, stock, lemon juice, soy sauce, horseradish and chili sauce in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake thoroughly until well chilled (10 seconds). Strain the mixture into the well-chilled glass over ice and garnish with lime and colorful nasturtium blooms.
*Top of the Pot stock
Top of the Pot stock is the top layer of liquid in a pot that typically gets cooked off when simmering tomatoes and spices. To make, half-fill a large saucepan with fresh garden tomatoes and a half cup of water. Add salt and pepper, garlic, maybe a spice mix or even some chili flakes, and then cover. After about 15—20 minutes, as the tomatoes cook down, they will shed wonderful juices, which you should pour off or ladle out and save for these cocktails. Use simmering tomatoes in any recipe for stewed tomatoes.
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