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  STEVE'S MAGIC "MATER" JUICE

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   Ugly tomatoes make beautiful juice.

                               - Aunt Dottie

                                          

 Gourmet Homemade Tomato Juice                   by Steve Both

 

My homemade juice is the result of 70 years of evolution of a family recipe. Here's the story.

While in college in the 1930's, my father often visited New York City with his roommate Boyd Jones, whose family lived on the upper East Side. They hailed from Connecticut where they had previously kept a country place with a small but prolific garden, the source that enabled them to produce all manner of condiments.

 

Even in her New York apartment, Boyd's mother Dottie (or as my father called her, Aunt Dottie) still had the "pickling bug." So she put up small quantities of vegetables and fruit. My father was taken with her bread and butter pickles, Jerusalem artichoke relish, but especially her tomato juice.  

In the late 40's, my father recalled these delights and Mrs. Jones was only too glad to share her recipes. Over the years these and other products became traditions in my family. While most of the pickles maintained their original formula, the perfection of the tomato juice became a fixation for my father and by the 70's had evolved to a far different product than the original.

 

When my parents downsized in the 90's and no longer had a large kitchen, I took over the experiment. Through the notes of my father I came up with a practical formula which both honors the original while injecting it with much more pizzaz.

 

The juice is great by itself and of course lends itself admirably to a hearty Bloody Mary, Bloody Bull or tomato juice and beer. It also serves well as a base for hot tomato soup or sauce in winter and to cold Gazpacho in early summer before tomatoes are in at local farm markets.

 

I believe this juice is the

real deal--and so am I!  

             

             Enjoy,

             Steve

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Steve's Magic "Mater" Juice is available directly from Steve, in single jars for $8 and when supplies permit, for $75 per case. Also available at the Thursday evening Delaware Avenue Farmers Market on the corner of Delaware Avenue and Scott Street in front of Obie Kline's picture framing shop, May through October.

 market days

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                  Steve with his satisfied customers: Jan, Obie and Tracy.

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Pretty "maters" make beautiful juice too!

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  In Memoriam, Steve Both

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