Tomatoes & Tequila

Every August, I’m swimming in vine-ripened tomatoes from my garden. My favorite summer seasonal fruit requires quick consumption, so after picking a pint of grape tomatoes, I went to the shelf and opened the May/June issue of Imbibe to put those sweet tomatoes to use. The Drinko de Gallo (pdf) was contributed by Jeff Hollinger, co-author of Art of the Bar and manager at Absinthe Brasserie in San Francisco, and this refreshing summer cocktail marries tequila and fresh tomatoes, cilantro, Cointreau and lime with an optional hot pepper.

As I sipped my Drinko de Gallo and sautéed some veggies for a tostada, I got an idea: instead of chucking the leftovers from the shaker, why not add them to my guacamole for a little kick? The addition of tequila-soaked tomatoes gives me yet another reason to make this drink again and again. Hmm, I wonder if my gazpacho can do double duty in a bloody mary? —Siobhan Crosby

Here’s my easy guacamole recipe:
1 fresh, ripe avocado
1 Tbsp organic salsa (or more to taste)
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp kosher salt

P.S. If you’re in the Portland area this weekend, come see us at the Great American Distillers Festival to sample craft-distilled spirits (pdf) from all over the country and check out the Mix Master’s Cup mixology competition—should be a great time. And please be nice to the emcee (that would be me).

Photo by Studio3 from the May/June 2007 Issue of Imbibe