Uber-garnishing Bloody Marys like our Garden-Fresh Caprese version has been all the rage for years now. It’s fun and festive, and tasty, too. It’s particularly fitting to put a little effort into festooning the quintessential brunch cocktail when you’re starting with your own tomato juice from the season’s best fruits. Clearly, it’s just so much better whenever it is made from scratch. For this version’s best-dressed look, we take inspiration from the classic Italian Caprese salad. This recipe whisks you away with rich tomato as well as savory and acidic garnishes in this recipe.
Garnish your Garden-Fresh Caprese Bloody Mary with Gusto
Get your cocktail skewers on deck! Make the drink light and a little cheesy with mini mozzarella balls. Make it colorful with tiny cherry tomatoes in contrasting colors. Herb it up with sprigs of fresh basil, rosemary or thyme. Emphasize the drink’s salty, savory appeal with accordion-folded prosciutto slices, green olives, pepperoncini, caper berries, radicchio spears, or celery stalks. You could also boost this brunch bevy’s citrus profile with lemon wedges and lemon zest, or lime wedges and lime zest.
Garden-Fresh Caprese Bloody Mary
- Yield: Makes 2
Description
Upgrade your Bloody Mary with a variety of garden-fresh produce.
Ingredients
- 4 medium red-ripe tomatoes, stem and any white core removed
- 2 large basil leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly milled black pepper to taste
- ¼ teaspoon grated horseradish or more to taste
- Pinch or 2 of cayenne pepper, or dash or two of tabasco or other hot pepper sauce
- Chilled vodka
Garnish options:
- Bocconcini mozzarella balls
- Small tomatoes of differing colors
- Basil leaves
- Rosemary sprigs
- Accordion-folded prosciutto slices
- Green olives
- Pepperoncini
- Caper berries
- Lemon wedges
- Lemon zest
- Lime wedges
- Lime zest
- Radicchio spears
- Celery stalks
Instructions
- Place the tomatoes in a blender with ¼ cup cold water and blend until smooth, with tiny bits of skin suspended in liquid. Add seasonings to taste and blend again. Add a bit more water if too thick to pour easily, and blend again.
- Pour a good shot of vodka into 2 tall glasses, with ice if you wish, and top off each glass with the tomato juice.
- Garnish with exuberance. Festoon long bamboo skewers or cocktail picks with some combo of the garnish options.
Recipe by Cheryl Alters Jamison
Styling by Julia Platt Leonard
Photography by Tira Howard
Subscribe to TABLE Magazine‘s print edition.
