9.8.14 All Juiced Up

Tomatoes 790 xxx
photos by gluttonforlife
It's been a strange season in the garden. Unusually cool temperatures have resulted in a glut of cucumbers, thriving greens and herbs, and not a single summer squash. A year without an onslaught of zucchini just feels unnatural! The tomatoes have been a mixed bag: lots of Green Zebras and Brandywines, other varieties decimated by blight, and many falling off the vine green. I see green tomato-lemon marmalade in my future, not to mention green tomato chutney and plenty of fried green tomatoes. But with what's left of the ripe ones, I envision perhaps one more gazpacho, one last tomato sandwich and definitely some fresh tomato juice. Nothing else comes close to capturing the essence of the season. (Except perhaps a perfect peach. Or buttered corn. Or blackberries.) I make it with my Hurom juicer that has become a staple of my kitchen. It's a slow-masticating design that first crushes food and then presses it to extract maximum yield with minimum oxidation, meaning you get the most nutrition from juice produced this way. The smell and taste of fresh tomato juice is one of the great pleasures of late summer.
Mold 790 xxx
break the mold
Because tomatoes do not fare well in the fridge—it slows the ripening process and robs them of flavor—it's best to store them on the counter. But this means that any nicks or bruises are vulnerable to encroaching molds, like the beautiful one you see above. This is incentive to process your tomatoes when they're at their peak. You can preserve them whole; make jam; whip up a big batch of sauce to freeze (and enjoy all winter long); or turn them into juice, which also freezes well.
Cut tomatoes 790 xxx
red rover
Fresh juice 790 xxx
got juice?
Fresh tomato juice becomes even more delicious with the addition of a bit of lemon and/or horseradish, and is nicely complemented by spices from coriander to black pepper. And of course it makes an incomparable Bloody Mary! What better way to take the sting out of an early fall?
Spice mix 790 xxx
in the mix
You may remember the Bloody María I made last year with one of a quartet of spice blends created by the genius duo of spicemaster Lior Lev Sercarz and über-barman Jim Meehan. Now let me introduce you to the Bloody Marlene (an ode to Ms. Dietrich?), a sophisticated take on the classic Bloody Mary that features gin and the blend shown above, with juniper, coriander, cardamom and a host of other spices and aromatics.
Ingredients 790 xxx
supporting cast
Jim Meehan's recipe also includes Worcestershire sauce, lemon and lime juices, pickled wasabi and hot sauce. The rich taste and slightly viscious quality of fresh tomato juice is the ideal counterpoint to all these bright, assertive flavors.
Wasabi 790 xxx
spice paste
I didn't have all the ingredients on hand and had to ad lib a bit. For the Worcestershire, I substituted fish sauce and for the pickled wasabi, I used a bit of spicy wasabi paste. After mixing together all the ingredients, I did follow Meehan's instructions to "roll with ice," passing the liquid and plenty of ice back and forth between two tumblers in a technique that is gentler than shaking.
Cocktail 790 xxx
red devil
I also avoided loading the drink up with tons of garnishes, which Meehan objects to on the grounds that it turns a cocktail into a salad bar. But I did add a couple of my pickled Mexican sour gherkins and a wedge of lime. And I did drink mine on the rocks, because that's how I roll.
 

Bloody Marlene

from Jim Meehan
makes 1 cocktail
  • — 4 ounces tomato juice
  • — 1 1/2 ounces gin
  • — 1/4 ounce Worcestershire sauce
  • — 1/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
  • — 1/4 ounce fresh lime juice
  • — 1/2 teaspoons B-Marlene spice blend
  • — 1/2 teaspoon pickled wasabi
  • — 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco

Blend ingredients in a mixing glass then fill with ice. Roll with ice, passing back and forth between two tumblers, then fine-strain into a tall, chilled glass. Garnish with pickled Mexican gherkins and a lime wedge.

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8 Comments

I love those little gherkins! Too bad I didn't plant them this year, they probably would have done well. My cucumbers were about the only prolific thing about the garden this summer. I hate to say it, but it makes me feel better when most folks I know say that they had a not-so-hot gardening year. So far, I don't know anyone who had a good one!
Julia on September 9, 2014 at 10:05 am —
Any tips for juicing and freezing tomato juice? Do you peel prior to jucing, or simply strain post-juicing? And, thanks for inspiring me to get in the kitchen and begin processing my counter FULL of tomatoes!
abigail on September 9, 2014 at 10:41 am —
Abigail, I don't need to peel or seed my tomatoes for the Hurom juicer, but it may depend on what you're using. I think even a blender would work, though you should probably peel and deseed in that case. I recommend freezing juice (and sauce) flat in ziploc bags, which helps conserve space in your freezer.
laura on September 9, 2014 at 11:53 am —
Viva la tomato!
thefolia on September 9, 2014 at 5:26 pm —
I'm with you, green tomatoes aplenty, a few red - hoping for a great Indian summer to ripen these beauties and it is comforting to know your squash have also not blossomed to vegetation!
bonnie on September 9, 2014 at 9:29 pm —
I was just in Williams-Sonoma today looking at juicers. I fell in love with the Hurom Elite. So nice to hear that you love the older version of the Hurom juicer!
susan // the wimpy vegetarian on September 10, 2014 at 8:33 pm —
Hey, Susan! Let me know if you go for the Elite - wondering if I should upgrade…
laura on September 11, 2014 at 7:58 am —
Damn, those pictures of tomatoes made my mouth literally water. Amazing pics! I'm looking at them while eating a tuna sandwich, and it makes the whole experience better!
Amin Ahmad on September 11, 2014 at 8:42 pm —