No foolin'. Botanically speaking, tomatoes are fruit, so don't Gulag them away in Bloody Mary land. They're sweet, juicy, colorful and ever so ready to meet the business end of a muddler. Here's one way they've been punching up my summer.

The Frisky Farmer

Grape or cherry tomatoes
2 lemon quarters
Triple sec
2 oz rye whiskey
Ice

Place a small handful of your favorite grape or cherry tomatoes in a rocks glass, covering the bottom. Prick lightly with a fork so they don't explode upon muddling.

Drop in two lemon quarters, rind on. Muddle the tomatoes and lemon quarters thoroughly.

Pour in 1/2 oz triple sec and taste the mixture. If it's too astringent, add more triple sec, 1/4 oz at a time, tasting as you go.

Once that's balanced, pour in 2 oz of rye whiskey (I like Old Overholt. It's cheap and it's balanced.), stir well with ice and serve.

For a slightly zippier drink, swap the triple sec for Domaine de Canton - a fresh ginger liqueur that goes well with just about everything. Gin, bourbon, vodka, soda, your arm...

Okay, I'm semi-obsessed with the coupling of tomatoes and booze; that's like Brangelina to produce 'n cocktail fetishists like me. Try a Smokey Maria (tequila and smoked tomatoes) or an Heirloom Tomato Lemonocracy - with or without the high-proof kick.