Tomato cooler with basil

Ingredients:

Cocktail

• 1 cherry tomato for serving
• 1/4 tbsp. basil sugar (see recipe below)
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 60 ml tomato shrub with basil (see recipe below), chilled
• 180 ml of sparkling water, chilled
• Additionally: paper straw, for serving

Tomato Shrub with Basil

• 450 g ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tbsp. basil sugar (see recipe below)
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 0.5 cup white balsamic vinegar

Basil sugar

• 1 and 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves

Preparation:

1. Prepare the garnish by making cross-shaped cuts in the top and bottom of a cherry tomato. Poke a paper straw through the cuts and set aside.
2. Pour 0.5 cm of water into a small bowl. On a small plate, mix the basil sugar and salt.
3. Dip the rim of an 8- to 10-ounce (240-300 ml) cocktail glass in water, then dip it in the basil sugar mixture. Add two to three 1-inch (2.5 cm) ice cubes to the garnished glass, carefully add the tomato shrub, then top up with club soda. Stir with a prepared straw, securing the tomato about 1/2 inch (1 cm) from the rim of the glass, and serve.

4. Tomato Shrub with Basil

   
   Combine the tomatoes, basil sugar (see below), and salt in a small saucepan and stir until the sugar begins to dissolve. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes, until the tomatoes soften and release their juices and the skins separate, 25–30 minutes. No need to add water; the tomatoes will release a lot of liquid.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the balsamic vinegar. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium heatproof bowl, squeezing out as much juice as possible. Transfer the shrub to a glass jar and refrigerate for 24 hours. The shrub can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Yield: approximately 2 tablespoons.

6. Basil sugar

   
   Combine the sugar and basil in a mini food processor and pulse until the basil is finely chopped and combined with the sugar. You may need to stir occasionally to ensure the basil is evenly distributed. Transfer to a jar and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Yield: about 1.5 cups.