Glasshouse Signal

01

What you’ll need

• 500 g very ripe red tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
• 120 g English cucumber, roughly chopped, plus 2 long ribbons for garnish
• 8 large fresh basil leaves, plus 2 small tips for garnish
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seeds, lightly crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon pure light agave nectar
• 30 mL fresh lemon juice, finely strained
• 1 small pinch ground white pepper
• 160 mL plain sparkling mineral water, thoroughly chilled and verified alcohol-free
• 2 cups fine pebble ice
• 2 small cherry tomatoes, for garnish

02

Mix the drink

1. Place the chopped tomatoes, chopped cucumber, basil leaves, crushed celery seeds and sea salt in a food processor. Pulse 6 to 8 times until the mixture is finely broken down but not completely smooth.
2. Set a fine sieve over a deep jug and line it with a rinsed coffee filter or two layers of clean damp muslin. Spoon in the tomato mixture, cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. Let gravity do the work; do not press the solids, which would cloud the liquid.
3. Measure 240 mL of the clear tomato-cucumber water into a chilled mixing jug. Reserve any extra for soup or salad dressing. Stir in the agave nectar, strained lemon juice and white pepper until the agave dissolves.
4. Use a vegetable peeler to cut two long cucumber ribbons. Thread one cherry tomato and one basil tip onto each of two short reusable cocktail picks.
5. Curl one cucumber ribbon against the inside wall of each chilled glass, then pack the glasses with fine pebble ice while keeping the ribbon visible.
6. Divide the clarified base evenly between the glasses. Top each with 80 mL sparkling mineral water and swizzle gently with a long bar spoon for 6 to 8 seconds, lifting from the bottom once without crushing the ice.