August and September are all about tomatoes. Tomato sandwiches, tomato salads, tomato pie, tomato jam, tomato sauce. Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes.
But don’t forget about cocktails. Fresh tomato juice in your cocktail? Heck yeah! Add a sweet little cherry or grape tomato for a garnish? Chef’s kiss — there’s nothing better.
Get your cocktail hour lycopene fix with this fresh, fresh foray into tomato tippling from a recipe created by La Petite Maison in Dubai for our friends over at Ketel One, a vodka that’s pretty easy to procure around these parts. But for the tomatoes? We don’t have to tell you: these gorgeous little late-summer fruits are fleeting so head straight to the closest local farmstand. We’re partial to Marilee’s Farmstand (698 Sagg Main St., Sagaponack), but there’s a multitude of excellent East End farms bursting with tomatoes right now, so just pick your favorite.
Simply slice one up, give it a little muddle and shake and voila! The perfect end of summer sip. Cheers to another great summer on the South Fork, friends — thanks for spending it with us!
Tomatini
Ingredients
- 1 Early Girl or other medium-sized, fresh tomato, quartered
- 1 1/2 oz Ketel One Vodka
- 1/3 oz white balsamic vinegar
- 1 pinch each sea salt and pepper, plus extra black pepper for rim
- 1 barspoon simple syrup
- 1 cherry tomato
Directions
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle the tomato quarters.
- Add vodka, vinegar, salt and pepper and simple syrup. Fill with ice and shake well for about 10 to 15 seconds.
- Double strain into a martini glass. Sprinkle a little black pepper on top and garnish with the cherry tomato. Cheers!
