Tomato party
The purpose of this salad is to use as many types of tomato as you possibly can. Some are cooked, others raw, to maximise the tomatoey effect with diverse flavours and textures.
Serves 4
125g couscous
Olive oil
150ml boiling water
150g fregola (giant couscous)
300g medium vine-ripened tomatoes, quartered
¾ tsp brown sugar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
150g yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp oregano, roughly chopped
2 tbsp tarragon, roughly chopped
3 tbsp mint, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 small green tomato, cut into thin wedges
100g tomberries or halved cherry tomatoes
Salt and black pepper
1 Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/gas mark 3. Put the couscous in a bowl with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of oil. Pour over the boiling water, stir and cover with clingfilm. Set aside for 12 minutes, then remove the clingfilm, separate grains with a fork and leave to cool.
2 Place the fregola in a pan of boiling, salted water and simmer for 18 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold, running water. Leave to dry completely.
3 Meanwhile, spread the quartered vine tomatoes over half a large baking tray and sprinkle with the sugar and some salt and pepper. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar and some oil over the top. Place in the oven.
4 After about 20 minutes, remove from theoven and increase the temperature to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Spread the yellow cherry tomatoes over the empty side ofthe baking tray, season with salt and pepper and drizzle over some oil. Roast for 12 minutes. Remove the tomatoes and allow to cool.
5 Mix together the couscous and fregola in alarge bowl. Add the herbs, garlic, cooked tomatoes with all their juices, green tomato and tomberries. Very gently mix together using your hands and taste for seasoning: you might need to add salt, pepper and some olive oil.
Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi (Ebury Press). To order a copy for £20 (RRP £25), visit guardian.co.uk/bookshop guardian.co.uk/bookshop or call 0330 333 6846
Plum tomato and basil galette
This is one of those inspired, simple ideas on the menu at the Ivy in London and published in its book, The Ivy, the Restaurant and Its Recipes, by AA Gill, with recipes by Mark Hix.
Makes 8
8 x 16cm rounds of puff pastry, 3-4mm thick
240g sun-dried tomatoes
2 tsp tomato puree
8 large, or 12 medium, ripe plum or well-flavoured
tomatoes, cored, peeled and sliced
Salt and black pepper
For the basil dressing
120g basil
150ml extra virgin olive oil
1 Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/gas mark 3. Prick the pastry bases with a fork, lay them on a flat, oiled baking sheet and bake for 10minutes, turning after 5 minutes to ensure the pastry doesn't rise. Turn up the oven to 400F/200C/gas mark 6.
2 Drain most of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes, then process them with the tomato puree to make a fine paste. Transfer to a bowl. Rinse out the blender and wipe it dry.
3 Process the basil with the olive oil, adding a little more oil if the dressing seems too thick.
4 To assemble the galettes, spread a thin layer of the sun-dried tomato puree on the pastry bases. Lay the sliced tomatoes in a circle on top, overlapping slightly. Season with black pepper and bake for 10 minutes.
5 Serve on a warm plate. Drizzle the basil dressing generously over the tomatoes and sprinkle with a crumble of sea salt flakes.
The Big Red Book of Tomatoes by Lindsey Bareham (Grub Street)
To order a copy of The Big Red Book of Tomatoes for £12.79 (RRP £15.99), visit guardian.co.uk/bookshop
Pain perdu aux deux tomates
This savoury version of the traditionally sweet pain perdu is ideal for a brunch or lightevening meal in the summer, when tomatoes are fragrant and most plentiful. Serve with a salad of mixed greens. You can substitute strips of dry-cured ham for the sun-dried tomatoes.
Serves 4
300g day-old bread, cut into 1cm-thick slices
4 large eggs
120ml milk
1½ tsp dried oregano
1½ tsp herbes de Provence
½ tsp fine sea salt
¼ tsp black pepper
6 medium Roma tomatoes, about 700g
12 sun-dried tomatoes, drained
Extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
60g parmesan, freshly grated
1 Cut the bread into 5cm-wide pieces. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, herbs, half the salt, and the pepper. Add the bread, toss to coat and let stand for 10 minutes, occasionally stirring gently to ensure an even coating. Leave some mixture for later.
2 Core the tomatoes and slice horizontally in 1cm slices. Let them stand in a colander to drain for 5 minutes. Cut the semi-dried tomato into bite-size pieces.
3 Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6 and grease a large baking dish with olive oil. Arrange the tomato slices over the bottom of the dish, reserving nine of the most attractive for the top. Sprinkle with the remaining salt, drizzle with a little oil and top with the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes.
4 Arrange the bread over the tomatoes, pour the remaining egg mixture over the dish, top with the reserved tomato slices and sprinkle with parmesan.
5 Bake for 20-25 minutes, until heated through, then switch on the grill for 5minutes until the cheese is golden and the bread is crisp around the edges.
Chocolate and Zucchini by Clotilde Dusoulier (Marion Boyars) To order a copy for £7.99 (RRP £9.99), visit guardian.co.uk/bookshop or call 0330 333 6846.
Tomates Provençales
This is the height of simplicity – with good ingredients, not much more needs doing.
Serves 4
8-10 large, ripe tomatoes
Salt and black pepper
4-5 garlic cloves, crushed
A handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Olive oil
1 Cut the tomatoes in half. Make several diagonal incisions in the pulp of the tomatoes, and rub in the salt, pepper and garlic.
2 Spread each tomato half with parsley, pressing it well in.
3 Pour a few drops of olive oil on each and cook cut-side up under the grill, or in a hot oven, 200C/400F/gas mark 6, for about 30 minutes, until slightly blackened on the cut surface.
Edited excerpt from Elizabeth David on Vegetables, by Elizabeth David; recipes compiled by Jill Norman (Quadrille) To order a copy of Elizabeth David on Vegetables for £16 (RRP £20), visit guardian.co.uk/bookshop or call 0330 333 6846.
Sweet green tomato preserve
Loligi mourapa is an Armenian classic. Use small green tomatoes, no more than 2½ cm indiameter.
Makes at least 1.2kg
900g small, green tomatoes, washed and drained
1.2kg sugar
450ml water
1 tbsp lemon juice
5 cloves
5cm stick of cinnamon
Seeds from 3 cardamom pods
1 Bring some water to the boil in a large saucepan. Drop in the tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain them and leave to cool.
2 Meanwhile, prepare the syrup by placing the sugar, water and lemon juice in a large saucepan and bringing to the boil, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Drop the cooled tomatoes into the syrup, remove from the heat and set aside for 2 hours.
3 Place the cloves, cinnamon and cardamom seeds in a small muslin bag, tie tightly and hang by a piece of string in the syrup. Return to the heat and simmer very gently for 30minutes, then set aside for 2 hours.
4 Repeat the simmering process once more, setting aside for a further 2 hours.
5 Cook over a low heat until the syrup is thick. Remove from the heat and set aside until cool. Discard the spice bag. Carefully drop the tomatoes into sterilised jars with a slotted spoon. Pour the syrup over the tomatoes until the jars are filled to the top. Seal tightly and store in a cool place.
Vegetarian Dishes from the Middle East by Artoder Haroutunian (Grub Street) Order a copy for £11.99 with free UK p&p (save £3) from guardianbookshop.co.uk or call 0330 333 6846
Baked saffron yoghurt pudding with tomato compote
This unusual partnership of tomato and yoghurt works really well. You'll make more ginger paste than you need, but it keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Serves 4
For the ginger paste
100g fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
125ml water
For the compote
4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
220g sugar
For the pudding
250g plain yoghurt
160g sweetened condensed milk
60ml double cream
2 threads of saffron, infused in 1 tsp milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 Preheat the oven to 160C/320F/gas mark 3. Process the ginger in a food processor with the water to form a smooth paste. Set aside.
2 Mix together the tomato, 1 tsp of the ginger paste and the sugar in a medium saucepan and cook over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes, or until the tomato has softened. Spread out over the base of a 25cm x 12cm ovenproof dish.
3 Mix together the yoghurt, condensed milk, cream, saffron infusion and egg in a mediumbowl.
4 Pour the yoghurt mixture over the tomatoes and bake in the oven for 20-35 minutes, or until the pudding is just set.
5 Allow to cool completely then chill in the fridge for 1 hour. Serve in dessert glasses.
Spice Kitchen by Ragini Dey (Hardie Grant)
Roasted tomato ketchup
If you've never made ketchup before, you'll be surprised at how simple it is. Star anise and balsamic vinegar add interesting flavours, but you can leave these out if you're a purist.
Makes about 500ml
10 medium tomatoes (about 1kg)
Coconut oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
A pinch of chilli flakes
3 star anise
3 bay leaves
1 tsp ground coriander
30ml balsamic vinegar
Apple cider vinegar to taste
Salt and black pepper
1 Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Wash the tomatoes then cut them in half and place on a lined baking sheet. Lightly drizzle with coconut oil and a pinch of salt. Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes or so, until the tomatoes are caramelised and fragrant.
2 While the tomatoes are cooking, heat some oil in a large pan and add the onions, a pinch of salt, black pepper, garlic, chilli flakes, star anise, bay leaves, and coriander. Cook until the onions soften slightly – about 5 minutes. When the bottom of the pan gets dry, pour in the balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan.
3 Once cool, remove the star anise and bay leaves and set aside for later. Place the tomatoes and cooked onions in a food processor and blend to form a puree. Using the back of a wooden spoon or spatula, press the puree through a mesh sieve back into the pan. (You can save the fibrous leftovers fora tomato-based soup or stew.)
4 Return the star anise and bay leaves to the pan, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until thickened (5-10 minutes). Season to taste. If it is not tangy enough, add 2-3 tsp of apple cider vinegar.
5 Once the ketchup has slightly cooled, pour into a clean glass container and store in the fridge for a week. It also freezes well.
Recipe supplied by Sarah Britton, mynewroots.org
Spicy tomato jam
Caramelised onions, cinnamon and a dash of maple syrup are used to make this sticky, sweet jam.
Makes 400ml
1.5kg medium-ripe tomatoes
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp allspice
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp ghee or butter
2 large red onions, finely diced
1 tsp dried thyme or oregano
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp sea salt
1 Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Halve the tomatoes then lie them flat on a tray and roast for around 40 minutes, until sticky.
2 Meanwhile dry-fry the spices in a large pan for a few minutes until fragrant and toasted. Remove from the pan.
3 Fry the onions in the ghee or butter, with the thyme or oregano for 20 minutes, until caramelised. Then add the spices and fry for one more minute. Add the garlic and fry for a further fewminutes.
4 Add the vinegar, maple syrup and sea salt and stir for a further minute.
5 Pour in the roasted tomatoes and their juices and break them up using a wooden spatula. Simmer for 30 minutes until the mixture reduces to a thick and jammy consistency.
6 Sterilise two 200ml jars or 1 large jar and fill with jam while still hot. Allow to cool, cover tightly with a lid and store in the fridge.
Recipe supplied by Melissa Hemsley and Jasmine Hemsley, hemsleyandhemsley.com
Fried green tomatoes
With their tart, brisk flavour and apple-like crunch, green tomatoes are especially delectable sliced and deep-fried. Their tangy flesh is a perfect foil for a rich, toasty crust. If you can't find green tomatoes, use supermarket red tomatoes, which most months of the year are so firm they might as well be green: sprinkle each slice with a pinch of salt and a squirt of lemon juice before dredging it to coax out more tomato flavour.
Serves 6
For the tomatoes
3 large eggs, beaten
190ml whole milk
750ml peanut oil
1.3kg green tomatoes, stem ends cut out and sliced in ½cm slices
Sea salt, if needed
Lemon juice, if needed
Fresh spinach and fresh rocket, to serve
For dredging
325g flour
9 tbsp cornmeal
6 tsp salt
Black pepper
For the dressing
185ml buttermilk
5 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp honey
A small handful fresh basil, finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely chopped
A small handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
½ tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
1 Whisk the eggs and milk together in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients together until thoroughly combined. Cover tightly and keep in the fridge until the tomatoes are ready to be served.
2 Pour the oil into a 30cm skillet and set on a medium-high heat. Heat the oven to 110C/225F/gas mark ¼ – very low – and place awire cooling rack on a baking tray on the topshelf.
3 In a bowl, sift the flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper together twice. Stir and turn out on to a large plate or tray. Taste the tomatoes: they should have a bright tartness like citrus fruit. If they don't, sprinkle the slices with salt and lemon juice. Then press one tomato slice into the dredging flour, once on each side, shaking any excess loose. Dunk in the egg mixture, then dredge the slice on both sides again. Shake off any excess and place the slice on a clean plate. Repeat with more slices until you've dredged enough for a batch (3-4 slices). With a spatula, transfer the first batch of slices to the oil.
4 As the first batch cooks, dredge the second batch of tomatoes, but keep a watchful eye on the first. Once the slices have fried to a rich golden brown on one side – about 2 minutes – flip them carefully and fry for 2 minutes more, or until golden brown. Transfer the fried tomatoes to a plate lined with a double thickness of kitchen paper and leave them to drain for one minute.
5 Transfer the slices to the wire cooling rack in the oven, arranging them in a single layer, so they remain warm and crisp. Repeat with the remaining slices until all the green tomatoes have been fried.
6 Serve right away on a bed of fresh spinach and rocket, drizzled with the dressing.
The Lee Brothers' Southern Cookbook: Stories and Recipes for Southerners and Would-Be Southerners by Matt Lee and Ted Lee (WW Norton & Company). To order a copy for £20 (RRP £25), visit guardian.co.uk/bookshop or call 0330 333 6846.
Raw tomato soup with basil oil
The fastest soup ever, this depends on the use of really well-flavoured tomatoes – cherry tomatoes are often best – and an effective blender. The bright green, homemade basil oil is the perfect garnish.
Serves 4
For the soup
600g cherry tomatoes
15g chopped onion
1 garlic clove
2 tsp olive oil
¼-½ tsp paprika
Salt and black pepper
For the basil oil
14g basil leaves
4 tbsp olive oil
1 Put the tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, and ¼ tsp of paprika into a blender and blend at top speed until completely smooth. Season with salt, pepper and more paprika to taste.
2 For the basil oil, either pound the basil leaves to a paste using a pestle and mortar and stir in the oil or blend the leaves and oil in a mini food processor. Either way, press the bright green oil through a sieve (the basil puree left in the sieve is gorgeous mixed with hot pasta).
3 Ladle the soup into a bowl, swirl some basil oil over the top and serve. This is best eaten as soon as it is made: cool, but not icy cold.
Recipe supplied by Rose Elliot; The Best of Rose Elliot will be published by Hamlyn on June 3 (roseelliot.com)
