Ripe & Ready
Whether you like them roasted until tender, piled high on bruschetta or simply sliced in a zingy salad, tomatoes are the most versatile ingredient around! Cerebrate the peak of the UK season with these tasty dishes
Tomato Focaccia
Makes: 1 loaf Prep time: 25 minutes, plus proving time Cook: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
330ml lukewarm water
7g fast-action dried yeast
500g strong white bread flour
6 tbsps olive oil, plus extra for greasing
1 tsp salt
200g cherry tomatoes, some halved,
some not
About 8 sage leaves; or 3 rosemary
sprigs, torn
Generous tsp flaky sea salt
Method:
1 Stir together the water and yeast and leave it to sit for 5–10 minutes, until foamy.
2 Tip the flour into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the yeast mixture, mixing vigorously, either by hand or using the dough hook, for a minute or so, then add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the teaspoon of salt. Continue mixing for about 10 minutes, until the dough becomes less sticky, smoother and more cohesive.
3 Brush a bowl with olive oil and tip in the dough. Cover and leave the dough to rise in a warm place for about 1–1/2 hours, until it has nearly doubled in size.
4 Brush a deep-sided baking pan with a little olive oil, then tip the risen dough into the pan. Pull the dough into shape, towards the edges of the pan, and use your fingertips to dimple it in places, keeping some spots still nicely aerated. Add about 1 tablespoon more of the olive oil over the surface of the dough, cover and leave to prove for 20 minutes.
5 Preheat the oven to 230°C/Fan 210°C/Gas 6–7.
6 Add the cherry tomatoes to the dough, squeezing some deep into pockets and leaving some protruding out a little more. Do the same with the sage leaves or torn rosemary sprigs. Sprinkle over the flaky sea salt.
7 Bake the dough in the very hot oven for about 25 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and puffed around edges. The loaf should sound hollow when tapped on the underside.
8 Remove the focaccia from the oven and immediately drench it with the remaining olive oil, then allow it to cool for at least 10–15 minutes before slicing.
Tomatoes to look out for:
Beef
Gigantic and juicy and ideal for munching fresh, they burst with deliciousness that suits their big show size.
Best served: sliced, seasoned and drizzled with oil.
Kumato
Unique and sweet as sugar, don’t let the dark green skin deceive you, they’re so good to eat.
Best served: sliced for salads or sandwiches.
Piccolo
A bullet of brightness and flavour, this is the number one cherry tomato.
Best served: on bruschetta.
Green Tiger
Dark green skin with zebra-like stripes and a bright green flesh with a tangy taste.
Best served: roasted or made into chutney.
Red Coc
