MSG Tomato Martini
Sarah Adams runs the bar at Chai Pani Asheville, and has a beautiful habit of looking at a bottle of vodka and knowing exactly what it needs for the season! Her latest pick is tomato water, which sounds like a strange thing to put in a martini until you remember that tomatoes are one of nature's best sources of glutamate. Glutamate is the compound behind umami, the same savory pull you get from parmesan or a good miso. And Sarah just found a way to pour it!
The trick here is Jugaad It (our newest salt, sugar, and MSG blend), doing quiet work behind the scenes. It pulls water out of heirloom tomatoes before they ever hit a blender, and what strains out the other side is nothing like tomato juice. It's clear, faintly pink, and tastes like the best tomato you've ever had, distilled down to its essence.
From there, Sarah keeps it simple, cause she knows that's exactly what we need for the summertime!
Vodka, that tomato water, a shake, a sumac rim for a little tang around the edge. No vermouth. This is less a twist on a classic martini and more an argument that your pantry has been underusing the tomato all along.
Recipe by Chai Pani Asheville's Bar Manager, Sarah Adams
