Oma Blaise Ford's Cocktail of the Week

images via Richard Swearinger and Oma Blaise Ford

Oma Blaise Ford is a self-confessed word and image freak who has spent her time over the past 18 years or so making magazines in the shelter and lifestyle arenas. Currently, she wields her pen and keyboard from the executive editor's chair at Better Homes and Gardens magazine (no slouch, huh?). When she's not busy doing all that, she loves to cook and mix a good drink for friends. Keep reading for a cocktail mixed by this talented, special friend!Oma says:I discovered this cocktail last summer at a wonderful little place called Range in San Francisco's Mission district (http://www.rangesf.com/). I didn't actually order it, I had another delicious concoction called the James Joyce. But the Sungold Zinger sounded so intriguing that I struck up a conversation with the bartender, who gave me a wee taste and some idea of the ingredients' proportions. I don't know how close the recipe below comes to the original, but it tastes like a bright splash of summer in a martini glass, and I think that will do.Sungold Zinger (recreated from the bar at Range in San Francisco)4 Sungold cherry tomatoes, plus 1 for garnish2 oz Gin3/4 oz Lemon juice1/4 to 1/3 oz agave nectarIn a cocktail shaker, muddle cherry tomatoes to release juice. Add ice and shake with the rest of the ingredients. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a martini glass (you may need to stir the liquid in the strainer to get the whole drink into the glass). Garnish with a cherry tomato.Notes: The tomatoes matter. (Don't they always?) The rich sweetness and orangey color of ripe Sungolds make this drink. Range used No. 209 Gin, which I can't find here so I use Bombay Sapphire. Adjust the agave nectar depending on the sweetness of the tomatoes, the tartness of the lemon, and your taste. All my friends know I like my drinks on the tart side, so I usually lean toward the lesser amount.