Looking for a way to celebrate a hot summer day?  Keep a cool refreshing drink for company!  Made with plump, juicy and bright red tomatoes brought home from the local Farmer’s Market.  

Ingredients:

• 2 medium tomatoes

• 1 inch piece ginger

• juice of 1 lime (add more to increase tartness) 

• 4 tsp sugar (add more to taste) 

• Pinch of salt 

Preparation:

Blend all ingredients together and strain.  Serve over ice.

Information:

The common and humble tomato, used all over the world, can be put to so many uses.  Much more than pasta and cheese.  A tomato, interestingly is a fruit and originated in South America.  Spanish colonization took this fruit all over the world.  For culinary purposes tomatoes are used as a vegetable.  Because of their shiny skin, tomatoes were thought to be poisonous until the 16th century and not eaten.  Although it is hard for us to think of Italian cuisine without the tomato, Italians did not use it in cooking until the late 17th or 18th century.  Until then it was used as a table decoration.          

The tomato is now grown and eaten all around the world and an integral part of many cuisines.  It can be eaten raw or cooked; it can be made into a soup or processed into a sauce.  Tomatoes can be dried and salted or preserved in oil.  They can be made into a drink and can be used in cocktails.  Because of its’ acidic properties, it is easier to preserve.  Unripe green tomatoes can also be roasted or cooked and made into a salsa or eaten breaded and deep fried as a snack.  Florida and California are the highest tomato producers.  There are more than 7500 varieties of tomatoes.  

Tomatoes, which are naturally low in calories, are extremely high in lycopene, one of the most powerful natural anti-oxidants.  Lycopene improves the skin’s ability to protect itself from the harmful rays of the sun and are good for maintaining urinary tract health.  They are also rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin C.  Unripe tomatoes should be stored at room temperature uncovered, out of direct sunlight until ripe.  Once ripe, they should be used within 2 days.  Tomatoes should be refrigerated only when well ripened.    

My aunt Sheela first introduced me to this cool refreshing drink, which is quick and easy to make and tastes tangy, sweet and salty - all at the same time.  Although one may argue that spiking it with a bit of vodka can only improve its’ taste, this non-alcoholic version makes it a great summer party drink.