If Life Gives You Pomegranates...

...Make Martinis! Fresh, just picked, off the tree, pomegranate martinis. Without a doubt, these are THE BEST martinis I have ever tasted. And, I've tasted a few. If you have never tasted fresh pomegranate juice you are in for a treat. These are truly scrumptious and worth the extra effort. Here's the recipe.

Fresh Pomegranate Martinis, Mud House Style

Serves 2

1 1/2 cups fresh pomegranate juice from approximately 3 large pomegranates
1/4 cup fresh clementine juice
2 oz good quality, light colored tequila (or vodka or gin)
1 oz Cointreau
2 tablespoons reserved pomegranate seeds for garnish
2 slices clementine for garnish
2 pomegranate "crowns" for garnish
superfine sugar for rims
ice
sparkling water (optional) if you want to add a little sparkle

Here's how...

Rinse two martini glasses with cool water and place in freezer.

If you don't happen to have pomegranate trees nearby, buy 3-4 large pomegranates. Otherwise, do this...

First cut off the ends (save the little crowns!) then score the fruit all the way around into sections like this... Pomegranate seeds are beautiful, but the juice stains everything. So wear your grubby clothes and submerge the fruit in a large bowl of water while you are removing the seeds. This prevents the seeds and the juice from flying all over kitchen. Next, scoop the seeds out of the water and gently squeeze with a hand reamer.

This step is very important. There are other ways to do this but the trick is to NOT crush the seeds. You want to gently release the juice without adding any bitterness from the seeds.

Open the reamer once or twice, stir the seeds and gently re-squeeze. Once you have 1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice, use the reamer to squeeze 1/4 cup clementine juice.

Now mix the juices, tequila and Cointreau in a small pitcher and refrigerate while you prepare the glasses.

Remove glasses from freezer, rub cut side of clementine around the rim and invert glass into shallow dish of superfine sugar. Throw reserved seeds into each glass and return glasses to freezer.