BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Adam Frost shares advice for growing your own tomatoes, chillies and cucumbers, all showcased in recipes from our food director Cassie Best
photographs CHELSEA BLOXSOMEN
Tomatoes
They’re easy to grow, but tomatoes taste best when grown in full sun. If you want to have a go, there are many different varieties to choose from, including cherry, plum and beefsteak, each with its own distinctive shaped fruit, flavour and culinary uses.
Roasted tomato, sweetcorn, thyme & feta cornbread
The method for making cornbread is more like making a cake than other yeasted breads, resulting in a fine, crumbly texture that is complemented here by the juicy tomatoes, crisp corn and soft, salty feta. Try this recipe as part of a summery lunch with salads, or with a slow-cooked beef chilli.
SERVES 8-10 PREP 20 mins COOK 1 hr 5 mins EASY V ❄
300g tomatoes (a mixture of sizes
and colours is nice), small
tomatoes left whole, larger ones
halved or quartered
1 large corn cob
2 tbsp olive oil
225g fine cornmeal
140g plain flour
1 tbsp caster sugar
2 tsp baking powder
500ml full fat natural yogurt
3 medium eggs
75g melted butter
200g feta
6 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
1 Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Put the tomatoes and corn in a roasting tin, drizzle with half of the oil, season with salt, and roast for 12 mins. Will keep chilled for a day. Cut the kernels off the cob.
2 Reduce the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line a 23cm cake tin or ovenproof frying pan with a large sheet of baking parchment. Tip the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt into a large bowl. Beat the yogurt, eggs and melted butter together in a small bowl using a fork. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, then add most of the sweetcorn, feta and thyme (save a handful of each for the top). Mix together with a spatula until just combined.
3 Pour the batter into the prepared tin. Sprinkle over the reserved sweetcorn and feta, and arrange the tomatoes on top along with the rest of the thyme. Drizzle with the remaining oil, then bake for 50 mins until golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean, with no wet batter clinging to it.
4 Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then cut into wedges and serve warm. Once completely cool, will keep in an airtight container for two days, or frozen for a month.
PER SERVING (10) 342 kcals • fat 17g • saturates 25g • carbs 10g • sugars 7g • fibre 3g • protein 20g • salt 0.1g
ADAM’S ADVICE ONGROWING YOUR OWN
How to grow
