Dave the Raw Food Trucker

The following is a public statement regarding the condition of Dave the Raw Food Trucker, written last night by his dear friend, Tresa:

"Hello Everyone,

Today I have some difficult, personal news to share with you. Dave is in the hospital. He has had a stroke, and possibly a heart attack. The encouraging news is that he's progressing well. None-the-less, we'd appreciate any prayers, healing energy and positive thoughts you can send his way at this time.

I suspect that you're probably just as shocked about this event as Dave and I were... So, I really want to explain "why" this occurred. Sadly, we've already encountered wild speculation from people, so, I want to clarify that, contrary to erroneous assumptions, this situation was not caused by the Raw Food Diet nor Juice Feasting; That's simply NOT the case.

I also want you to know that Dave is strong in his resolve to heal fully! And he remains true to his belief in Live Foods. In fact, he politely refused to eat hospital food; I watched as he calmly stated to doctors & staff that he would gladly fast on water before touching ANY food from the hospital that wasn't "live, organic and vegan." He has repeatedly affirmed that he will NOT be changing his raw food diet, nor his juicing habits. The doctors have thus agreed to allow him to have raw foods & juice at the hospital. Luckily we located a natural & raw food retailer near by called "Natures Food Market & Juice Bar." They've been such a BLESSING! I've been picking up fresh juice & food there each day for Dave.

Here's the truth of the matter: Dave has had a heart condition called Atrial Fibrillation for MANY YEARS, which made him a high-risk candidate for stroke! (This has been his situation since before he became Raw, Organic and Vegan!) In fact, the one final prescription medication he's mentioned still taking, was for that very condition.

Also remember, Dave was morbidly obese for over 23 years, which placed a huge strain on his heart. Medical practitioners have told us that it can take 7 years or more to heal the circulatory system, and reverse the plaque build-up in his arteries. To add insult to injury, several situations occurred recently (not related to his diet) which, Dave believes may have also increased his risk.

And, as if all of this wasn't difficult enough, Dave has now discovered that, due to Department of Transportation Regulations, he will NOT be able to return to work for the next 6 months! Additionally, he'll be undergoing physical therapy & rehabilitation. This is a hugely unexpected change of plans, which has Dave feeling some concern.

Many people have already graciously asked if and how they can assist financially. This has prompted me to reach out, on behalf of Dave, to any of you who wish to compassionately contribute to his recovery. This is the first time in Dave's life where he finds himself "in need" of financial help from others, rather than in the position to "help others"... and it's an uncomfortable new position for him, to say the least.

If you feel compelled to help Dave during this financially difficult period, please go to the link below and give your gracious gift. You need not be a Paypal subscriber to use this service, it will work with any credit card. This service will be active for at least the next six months so that you can make one-time, weekly or monthly contributions... and the funds are made available to Dave immediately.

Click on, or copy and paste, this payment link into your browser to make an online gift contribution: http://ning.it/a2wqbE

Or, if you prefer to send a check or money order, make it payable to: Dave Conrardy. Please clearly note "Gift for Dave's Stroke Recovery" on the check, and send it to:

Dave Conrardy/The Raw Food Trucker
P.O. Box 544
Auburn Washington 98071

On a happier note, Dave should be out of the hospital soon, we will host the 2nd Annual International Day of Juice Feasting on September 12th in Seattle as planned! He looks forward to seeing you there LIVE or via the web- cast if you're not local! (info is available at: (www.DayOfJuiceFeasting.com)

I'll keep you up-to-date on Dave's progress, and we'll also be posting a video with details about this entire experience soon. Please keep Dave in your thoughts & prayers. Your generosity of spirit is so greatly appreciated.

Until we speak again, wishing you wellness and blessings,

Tresa (aka: Beauty, Elegance & Grace)

(on behalf of Dave The Raw Food Trucker) "

To watch/listen to Dave's incredible story of transformation, click here. To sign up for Dave's newsletter, go here. Any messages that you would like to be shared with Dave, please feel free to leave in the comments below. I will make sure Dave will receive each well wish and note of love & concern.

A Taste of Italy

For this week's Foodie Friday I wanted to create a menu around ingredients that I already had on hand either in my raw food pantry, refrigerator or garden. Also since I am still trying to stay with this juice feast, I wanted to create a few recipes that would keep well for my husband to enjoy over this weekend. So I put together a trio of pastas and sauces to choose from and a fairly over the top dessert - raw spumoni ice cream!

Fra Diavolo

This is an Italian-American fusion sauce that is typically served with a pasta that includes seafood. I decided that it would be the perfect compliment to the Sea Spaghetti that Raw Food Rehab member VeganForLife sent me just before my juice feast. I've been curiously staring at that package and couldn't wait any longer.

For the Sauce:

ripe garden tomatoes, chopped
1 small yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup black olives, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons dry white wine (optional)
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
3 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
3 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
pinch of freshly cracked pepper

1 package of Sea Spaghetti, soaked overnight & rinsed several times

For the Noodles:
Begin by covering the sea spaghetti with water in a medium bowl, cover and put into you refrigerator for at least an hour. The instructions on the website say the longer you soak them, the less "sea flavor" remains. I would recommend changing the water a couple of times before the final rinse before serving.

Putting it together:
Whisk together the olive oil and white wine and add all of the chopped ingredients, mixing together until well coated. Pour the ingredients over the spaghetti and serve.

Note from me....my husband found the consistency of the noodles to be kind of slimy, but he said all the flavors seemed to go really well together. I did taste on of the noodles out of curiosity and it does have a distinct sea weed-ish flavor. I think these noodles are a really interesting raw pasta substitution.

White Truffle Cream Sauce with Marinated Mushrooms & Fresh Peas

Taylor, our youngest, LOVES the richness of Fettuccine Alfredo so this sauce was created with her in mind. I had a pinky taste of this sauce and it was absolutely delicious!!

For the Sauce:
1 cup soaked cashews
2 - 3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoon white miso
2 tablespoons truffle oil
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup cold pressed olive oil
water, as needed to blend

Put all ingredients into a high speed blender and combine until creamy. Add water if needed to reach the desired consistency. I keep the sauce fairly thick, as it will thin once combined with the noodles.

Marinated Mushrooms:
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (I used shiitake from my local market)
2 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons coconut aminos (you could use nama shoyu or tamari)
2 garlic cloves

Whisk together the marinade and pour over the mushrooms, tossing well to make sure everything is fully coated. Cover the mushroom and allow them to sit for at least an hour to full absorb the flavor.

To Serve:
Open a package of Kelp Noodles and rinse them thoroughly. I have found that these noodles stay well in the refrigerator for days if you allow them to soak in pure water until you're ready to use them. Put some of the noodles into a bowl and scoop some of the White Truffle Sauce over the noodles, stirring well to coat the noodles. Put the sauce covered noodles onto a serving plate and arrange some of the marinated mushroom on top along with a sprinkling of fresh peas.

Creamy Red Sauce with Zucchini Noodles

There used to be an Italian restaurant in Tulsa that my husband and I would go specifically for a pasta dish that had a decadent, rich, cream based red sauce. I put these ingredients together to try to recreate that sauce and my husband said I got pretty close!

For the Red Sauce:

2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped (I coated these with olive oil and dehydrated them for about 3 or 4 hours to bring out a more intense flavor.....like roasting)
1/2 cup cashews, soaked and drained
2 medjool dates
splash of red wine vinegar
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
8 basil leaves
generous pinch of fresh oregano

Start by blending the cashews, dates, vinegar and some juice from one of the tomatoes in a food processor. Process until you reach a smooth consistency and then add in all the other ingredients, pulsing until well combined. This sauce will keep well in a covered container in your refrigerator for several days. Do not combine with the noodles until you ready to serve.

For the Zucchini Noodles:
2 zucchini squash

Using a spiral slicer, a julienne peeler or standard vegetable peeler, create your noodles.

To Serve:
Put the noodles onto a serving plate and cover with the Creamy Red Sauce. Garnish with additional basil leaves.

Raw Spumoni Ice Cream

Spumoni is a molded Italian ice cream made with layers of different colors and flavors, usually containing candied fruits and nuts. Typically it is a blend of three flavors. Chocolate and pistachio are the typical flavors of the ice cream layers, and the fruit/nut layer often contains cherry bits—causing the traditional red/pink, brown, and green color combination. I suggest making three separate ice creams, skipping the molded part...they are all delicious on their own, but especially wonderful serve together as you see here.

Pistachio Ice Cream
1 1/2 cups raw pistachios, chopped
1/4 cup almonds
1/2 cup agave nectar
a couple of drops of almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon coconut butter
2 cups chilled almond milk

In a food processor, combine 1 cup of pistachios, all the almonds, agave, almond extract, salt and coconut butter to form a thick paste. Put this paste into a blender and add the almond milk, blending until well combined. Pour this mixture into an ice cream freezer and add 1/2 cup of chopped pistachios once the ice cream begins to set up.

Cherry Vanilla Ice Milk
Coconut Milk (the meat and water of one young coconut blended together to make a milk)

1/3 cup agave nectar or 1/2 cup raw honey
1 10 oz bag frozen cherries (chop and save 1/4 cup to add in later)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup almonds, chopped

In a blender, combine the coconut milk, cherries and sweetener of your choice. Pour this into an ice cream freezer to process. You can also pour the mixture into a chilled glass bowl or casserole dish and put into the freezer. Stir the ice milk well every hour or so and add in the chopped cherries and nuts once the mixture has started to firm up. This complete process may take about 6 hours until it is fully ready to serve.

Chocolate Cacao Crunch
1 1/2 cup soaked cashews
1/3 cup medjool dates
1/3 cup agave or honey
3 - 4 tablespoons cacao powder
1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cacao or coconut butter
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup+ cacao nibs

Combine all ingredients, except the cacao nibs, in a blender. Use the same preparations as the other two ice creams....either a ice cream freezer or the glass bowl method. Add in the cacao nibs as the ice cream begins setting up.

Serve this trio of ice creams together in a pretty serving dish for a splendid raw rendition of Spumoni. Add a fresh cherry and or sprig of mint to serve.

Do You REALLY Make a Difference?

Courtesy of MakeADifferenceMovie.Com

Today's post isn't necessarily related to food, although you could translate it to have meaning in that way. It's geared more toward a spiritual nature and seems appropriate to share this Sunday morning.

I think we all have our days, right? Days where we question ourselves...days where we have been beaten down by the challenges and trials of life and we wonder if we have any real effective value at all. I have days like this, I bet you do too.

Awhile back, I was going through some personal adversity and I happened across a beautiful thought which I’d like to share with anyone who is open to it today:

The next time you're feeling like you've failed, that you're of no use to God or others, or that your life doesn't make a difference, just remember….

Noah was a drunk

Abraham was too old

Isaac was a daydreamer

Jacob was a liar

Leah was ugly

Joseph was abused

Moses had a stuttering problem

Gideon was afraid

Samson had long hair and was a womanizer

Jeremiah and Timothy were too young

David had an affair and was a murderer

Elijah was suicidal

Isaiah preached naked

Jonah ran from God

Naomi was a widow

Job went bankrupt

Peter denied Christ

The Disciples fell asleep while praying

Martha worried about everything

The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once

Zaccheus was too small

Paul was too religious

Timothy had an ulcer..AND

Lazarus was dead!

The bible was full of REAL PEOPLE, full of faults and failures, but the good news is......

God used them all and STILL uses their stories as inspiration for us today!!

How is God wanting to use YOUR story to inspire others around you today?

Foodie Friday - The Brilliance of Basil

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme - they are all awesome herbs, but in the summertime, Basil is my pick for favorite summer taste sensation. Basil's heady aromatic scent often permeates your herb garden and your grocery bag. Basil is an easy plant to grow, its only major requirements being full sun and consistent water. Its delicious flavor, and overgrown abundance in my garden has made it a superstar ingredient in my summer kitchen this year. Today's I want to share with you a few ideas on how you can enjoy this delicious herb and still keep it raw!

Basil Pesto

Super simple.....basil, garlic, cheesy nutritional yeast and olive oil. I like to use omega-3 rich walnuts instead of pine nuts, but any nut will work and I suggest almonds, pecans, pistachios or pine nuts.

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, (2-3 bunches)
1/4 cup walnut pieces
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
3 tablespoons cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1- 2 large cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Place basil, walnuts, nutritional yeast, oil, water, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor; pulse a few times, then process until fairly smooth, or to the desired consistency, scraping down the sides occasionally.

Avocado & Herb Salad with Fresh Basil Vinaigrette

Nothing is more simplistic and delicious than a salad that is full of fresh garden herbs. This salad is super easy but aromatic, nutritious and delicious.

For the Salad:

2 - 4 cups Mixed Field Greens

handful of torn basil leaves & other assorted herbs of your choice

1 small avocado, sliced

1 ripe tomato, sliced

1/4 cup sunflower or hemp seeds

Arrange the field greens, herbs, tomato, avocado then seeds on chilled salad plates. Top with fresh basil vinaigrette.

For the Dressing:

1/4 cup fresh basil

1/4 cup champagne (or flavor of your choice)

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 clove garlic

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

3/4 cup cold pressed olive oil

Process the first six ingredients in the blender until smooth. With the blender running, gradually add in the oil in a slow steady stream to emulsify. Drizzle this over the salad to serve.

Fresh Basil Marinara

There are two summer ingredients that were made for one another and that's fresh, ripe homegrown tomatoes and basil. The following red sauce is perfect on zucchini pasta, in a raw lasagna, on a dehydrated pizza crust or as a dip for fresh cut veggies.

3 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped

2/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, soaked to soften

1/4 sweet onion, chopped

1/2 cup fresh basil

2 - 3 soft dates, pitted

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 clove garlic

1 + tablespoon cold pressed olive oil

Process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. This will keep well in an airtight container for 5 days in the refrigerator.

The Strawberry Basil Martini

This is not Dad's pre-dinner cocktail. Basil, muddled strawberries, a touch of agave, and chilled sparkling water or kombucha (if you're lucky enough to have some) combine to provide a fresh twist on everyday cocktails.

3-4 large basil leaves
3 large medium-sized strawberries, sliced
1 slice fresh lemon
1/2 teaspoon agave nectar (or to taste)
2 ounces sparkling mineral or spring water

Combine basil, fruit, and agave in tall glass. Muddle lightly to bruise fruit and release essential herbal oils. Add ice cubes and shake to mix. Pour sparkling water over the mixture and stir, straining and serving in a chilled martini glass with a slice of lemon or lime and a sprig of fresh basil.

Real Juice Daily

I have been passionate about juicing for 25 years. Over the course of the last couple of decades, I've read and studied volumes of material on the topic and each work has made an impact on my understanding and enthusiasm about the topic. The one common denominator between authors and health experts from many differing backgrounds is that they typically agree that juicing is a superior way to get optimum nutrition into one’s body. Fresh juices, blended drinks and the highly charged, mineralized and alkaline water they contain can repair, protect, energize, improve and heal the body. Because there is already so much quality information available regarding the health benefits of juicing, I haven’t spent much time trying to convince you of such in Real Juice Daily.

Real Juice Daily is the complete story of my 3 month juice feast. The nearly 150 pages of information has been taken directly from my journal and is complete with photographs, recipes and daily reflections. I share with you why I decided to undertake such a commitment, how I did it and all of the intimate and juicy details that surrounded my life at that time. I believe this book can be a helpful guide and inspiration to you if you are considering a juice feast or if you just want to add more juice into your daily routine.

Real Juice Daily is now available for purchase through Paypal for $12 and will be sent directly to your inbox once I've received notice of your payment. (Please allow up to 12 hours for delivery, although it should arrive much sooner).

I hope that you will enjoy reading my journey and that you'll join me for more juicy adventures in the days and weeks to come!

Foodie Friday - Hard Rock Juice Cafe

Okay....I'm composed now. I almost renamed today's Foodie Friday Episode - Hard Luck Juice Cafe because after loosing 3 hours + worth of filming in less than one second by pushing the wrong button on my film cam this afternoon, I felt disheartened to say the least. But on the bright side, in the 14 months of making videos for Raw Food Rehab, that's the first time that has ever happened, so those are pretty good stats, right? I decided there was no sense shedding a tear over it since I still have some great recipes to share today and some pretty good still photos to boot. Everything tasted great and I hope something below will appeal to your palate so you can get inspired to go get your JUICE ON!!

Green Day

1 cucumber

1 green apple
¼ cup parsley
¼ cup mint
2 stalks celery
1 tiny piece of ginger
1 lime, peeled

Push all ingredients through your juicer. This particular combination is wonderful for promoting beautiful, smooth, hydrated skin.

Sunshine of Your Love

2 oranges, peeled and seeded

3 - 4 carrots

1 apple
small knob of ginger
1 lemon, peeled

Push all ingredients through a juicer. The main benefits of this juice include revitalization of the body, good for cold and glowing skin. Beauticians usually prescribe this juice because of its extremely good effects on the skin. But the benefits are not limited to the skin. It has a cleansing and boosting effect to the whole body.

(I realized that I only had one little carrot left from my week of juicing, so this recipes will look more vibrant and taste even richer when the additional carrots are added.)

Wild Thing

1 apple

1 cup fresh or frozen pineapple
1 cup watermelon, cubed
1 - 2 handfuls spinach

(add a bit of water to blend if necessary)

Blend together the desired amounts of each ingredient to create a wonderful mouth watering juice which is excellent for purifying your kidney and bladder. It also helps dispelling excess salts from your body. Some people use a tint of salt with this juice but I like to drink it as it is without the salt flavor.

Deep Purple

1 cup blueberries

1 cup frozen cherries
½ cup organic red grapes
½ cup raspberries, fresh or frozen

If you are using frozen fruit, you'll need to add water to blend. Puree all ingredients in a blender until well combined. This high anti-oxidant superjuice is likely to protect you from cancer, Alzheimer ’s disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, allergies, gout etc etc.

(Side Note....I had already drank about all I could by the time I made this brilliant combo, so I poured it into my ice cream freezer and made a sorbet for later tonight!)

The Pink Floyd

8 - 10 strawberries (fresh or frozen)
2 - 3 bananas (fresh or frozen)
nut or seed milk to blend

Put all ingredients into a blender and whirl until creamy. Kids love this served as is (a milkshake consistency), while some of you hard core Rawkers may want to add a tablespoon of green powder or Spirulina.

(Side note - I didn't have any nut milk prepared so I used a 1/4 cup hemp seeds and added about a cup of cold filtered water. I think this would also be even more delicious with a date or two and a splash of vanilla extract).

Foodie Friday - Attack of the 5 Gallon Bucket of Tomatoes

As many of you know, my dad is an amazing organic gardener. He's currently enjoying his 80th year around the sun and he's been a master gardener since before I was born. During the cooler months, he lives with me and my family in Tulsa, but during the summer, he stays at his little fisherman's cottage on Grand Lake in northeast Oklahoma. Besides dropping a pole into the lake whenever word gets out that the sand bass, Mississippi whites or crappie are biting, my dad is the infamous village handyman and he rocks a tight, mean & totally green organic garden. This week he came to the big city to visit yours truly and he was bearing gifts!

So, what do you do when life hands you a 5 gallon bucket of ripe, homegrown organic tomatoes, a few eggplants, some jalapeños and a bouquet of basil? This is what did:

Dirty Summer-Tini

3 - 4 ripe tomatoes, sliced

1 small cucumber, peeled

2 stalks celery

1 jalapeño, seeded

1 lime, peeled

splash of nama shoyu or coconut aminos

a dash of hot sauce

olives

freshly cracked pepper

Push the tomatoes, cucumber, celery, jalapeño and lime through a juicer. Chill or pour into a cocktail shaker containing crushed ice, adding nama shoyu & hot sauce. Shake until well chilled and pour into a chilled martini glass. Add a few olives on a toothpick or skewer and garnish with freshly cracked pepper.

My Dad's Salsa

3 medium tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup red onion, diced

1/4 cup white or yellow onion, diced

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped (use less if you like it more mild)

1 -2 limes, juiced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon raw agave nectar

pinch cumin

pinch chili powder

Smoked sea salt, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Season with additional sea salt if desired and serve with corn chips.

Greek Tomato Salad

For the Dressing:

1/2 cup cold pressed olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

1 tablespoon raw honey

1 tablespoon each, fresh basil & mint

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1 clove garlic

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

pinch of freshly cracked black pepper

Put all the ingredients into a blender and whirl until well emulsified. This dressing will keep in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for over a week.

For the Salad:

3 ripe garden tomatoes, chopped

1 small cucumber, sliced

1/4 cup sliced oil-cured ripe black olives

1/2 small red onion, sliced in rings

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

4 cups romaine or green leaf lettuce, torn

In a bowl combine the tomatoes, cucumber, olives, red onion and parsley and then drizzle and toss with the dressing. Arrange the torn lettuce evenly on 4 chilled salad plates, and top evenly with the tomato mixture. Feel free to use raw cheese crumbles as a garnish, if desired.

Skewered Tomatoes with Basil Vinaigrette

For the tomatoes:

2 yellow tomatoes

2 red tomatoes

2 green tomatoes

For the dressing:

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

fresh basil sprigs, for garnish

Quarter tomatoes, thread onto skewers, alternating colors. Brush with a bit of the dressing and place into a warm dehydrator for 2 - 6 hours, depending on your preference.

Serve the tomato skewers with a bowl of the remaining dressing and garish with fresh basil.

Eggplant Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato Sandwich w/ Thousand Island Dressing

For the Eggplant Bacon:

Several Japanese eggplants, thinly sliced lengthwise

1/4 cup cold pressed olive oil

2 tablespoons umeboshi plum vinegar or apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon raw honey

1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

Mix together the dressing ingredients and marinate the sliced eggplant for at least one hour, making sure it is coated well. Place the marinated eggplant on lined dehydrator trays and reduce for 12 hours at 105 degrees. Turn the strips over and onto unlined mesh dehydrator trays to finish drying for another 8 - 12 hours.

For the Thousand Island Dressing:

2 small oranges, peeled and seeded

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1/4 cup cold pressed olive oil

2 tablespoons raw honey

1 tablespoon Nama Shoyu or Coconut Aminos

1/4 cup cashew or almond butter

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

4 cloves garlic

Put all ingredients into a blender to process. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator until ready to use.

For the Sandwich:

Essene Bread (Ezekiel or Manna) sliced

leaf lettuce

sliced ripe tomatoes

Eggplant Bacon

Dressing

Build this sandwich to suit your own individual tastes. If you are 100% raw or gluten intolerant, use a gluten free, dehydrated bread/cracker instead of Ezekiel.

Basil Tomato & Watermelon Granita

6 cups fresh watermelon, seeded

2 cups fresh ripe tomatoes

small handful fresh basil

1 lime, juiced

1/4 cup raw agave nectar

pinch sea salt

In a blender, combine the watermelon and tomatoes until well combined, strain. Pour the strained mixture back into the blender and add the basil, lime juice, agave and salt, whirling until combined. Pour the liquid into a chilled 9 x 12 inch glass baking dish and put immediately into the freezer. Using a fork, every hour rake the freezing mixture to create an Italian ice type consistency. This will likely take 6 hours +. Serve in a chilled serving bowl and garnish with a fresh basil sprig.