My friends Victor and Wendy had their baby boy back in July and I finally made it out to see the lil boy (and tired mommy). Joshua was a little cranky that day, but I still managed to snap off a few photos. Thanks for being a good sport, Joshua!

tomato consommé martini

Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes. I swear, I’m up to my neck in these ripe, juicy fruits that I’m beginning to doubt I’ll ever be able to use them all. Yes, I could share the wealth and leave baskets of goodies at my neighbors’ doorsteps, but if you know me and how often (or not) I speak to my neighbors, you would know this would not be a smart idea. I could can them for future use throughout the year, but that would mean actual work. So when I recently discovered the tomato consommé martini at the wonderful Kelly Liken restaurant in Vail, Colorado, I knew I had found at least one solution for my surplus of fruit.

Though it might sound strange at first, this cocktail is very similar to one of my past faves, the dirty martini. It has the familiar savory, briny trademark of the olive-based drink, but with a light summery twist. The tomato consommé martini basically involves making a tomato water or consommé by puréeing ripe (preferably heirloom) tomatoes with garlic and optionally jalepeño pepper, and straining the liquid through a kitchen towel or cheesecloth. The process is a bit lengthy (the tomatoes need to strain overnight in the fridge) but is actually quite simple; definitely worth the trouble for a unique summer cocktail!