One of Japantown’s premier restaurants, bushi-tei offers fine dining by Chef Waka. This week, in place of the usual recipes, Chef Waka introduces three refreshing homemade juices for the summertime. These juices come in different flavors and styles with vegetables and sherbets.

Tomato OJ

Ingredients (for one): One fully ripe tomato, two oranges’ worth of OJ, a bit of honey and a little sugar

(1) Peel the tomato peel off by cutting slices into the skin and pouring hot water onto the tomato, then cut in half and remove the seeds.

(2) Put the tomato in a blender with the OJ and honey and sugar and then blend and serve.

Grapefruit Ginger Ale

Ingredients (serves two): One white grapefruit, one 12-oz. can of ginger ale

(1) Peel the grapefruit any way you wish, just be sure to keep the “meat” of the fruit only and do away with the white trimmings, then freeze.

(2) Once the grapefruit has frozen, blend it in a blender until it becomes a sherbert.

(3) Pour the contents into a chilled glass and then pour in well-chilled ginger ale so that the two are about half-and-half, then serve.

Strawberry Mango OJ Smoothie

Ingredients (for one): 3.5 oz. of strawberries (frozen OK), 1/4 a mango, one orange worth of OJ, 5 oz. of water and some sugar

(1) Take the stems off the strawberries and freeze them. If you have frozen strawberries, these can be used as they are.

(2) Once the strawberries are frozen, add the mango, OJ, water and a bit of sugar in a blender and blend.

(3) Poor into a chilled glass and garnish with an orange slice or piece of strawberry and serve.

Points!

- You can regulate the amount of sugar and honey you use depending on the sweetness of the fruit.

- The tomato and OJ separate over time so serve right away.

- The Strawberry Mango OJ smoothie can quickly be turned into a daiquiri if you add two spoons of apricot brandy. Try such experiments for fun fruity cocktails at home.

- All kinds of juice combinations are possible, like mixing apple juice with carrots, or icy banana smoothies with milk and sour cream. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.