Tomato Water Food

SUMMER TOMATO WATER

Steps:

• Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl, and line the strainer with cheesecloth (or a clean flour sack towel). Add the tomato water ingredients to a blender or food processor, and pulse until pulpy or finely chopped. (You may need to cut the tomatoes or cucumber in large chunks to get it next to the blade. If you do, make sure to pour any extra juice in with them!)
• Pour the mixture into the prepared strainer, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or up to a day.
• Tip: for clear tomato water, don't press or stir the pulp.
• Discard the solids, and keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

TOMATO WATER

Steps:

• Rinse tomatoes well under running water and quarter. In a food processor purée tomatoes with salt until smooth. Line a large sieve set over a tall nonreactive kettle with cheesecloth and carefully pour tomato purée into center of cheesecloth. Gather sides of cheesecloth up over purée to form a large sack and, without squeezing purée, gently gather together upper thirds of cheesecloth to form a neck. Carefully tie neck securely with kitchen string. Tie sack to a wooden spoon longer than diameter of kettle and remove sieve. Put spoon across top of kettle, suspending sack inside kettle and leaving enough room underneath sack so that it will not sit in tomato water that accumulates. Let sack hang in refrigerator at least 8 hours.
• Without squeezing sack, discard it and its contents and transfer tomato water to a bowl. Tomato water keeps, covered and chilled, 4 days.

TOMATO WATER BLOODY MARY

Steps:

• For tomato water:
• In food processor, purée first six ingredients until smooth. Line sieve with cheesecloth and set sieve over nonreactive bowl. Pour purée into center of cheesecloth and refrigerate overnight. Gather sides of cheesecloth up over purée to form large sack and squeeze gently to extract last bits of water. Discard sack and its contents and transfer tomato water to bowl. Set strainer over bowl and squeeze in lime, lemon, and orange juice. Stir well. Makes about 20 ounces tomato water, enough for roughly 4 drinks.
• For Bloody Mary
• Fill 4 highball glasses with ice. In each, combine 4 ounces tomato water and 1 1/2 ounces vodka and stir. Garnish with cherry tomatoes.