tomato, garlic and pepper coulis

The first year of a proper vegetable plot - even if it hasn't had the care and attention I would have liked to give it - nevertheless gives you ingredients to use to create sauces and resources for the freezer.

This was dead easy: from the garden I picked cherry tomoatoes, garlic, chili peppers (just 1 or 2) and yellow peppers.

I bunged them in a roasting dish, adding oil and rock salt. Roasted them for 40 mins and then I passed them through the juicer (a mouli would do as well). And that's it - a pepper coulis for the winter months to use either with fish, or as a soup, or a pasta sauce.

tomato salsa

good with tuna or swordfish. From Jamie Oliver the naked chef

2 handfuls plum tomatoes, de-seeded and finely chopped
handful of small capers, soaked and drained
2 small shallots or 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 clove garlic, finely chopped
handful parsley, finely chopped
couple of swigs of balsamic vinegar
6 - lugs olive oil
dried chili flakes (or fresh, finely chopped) to taste
1/2 cucumeber, peeled, deseeded and finely diced
salt and black pepper

mix and season to taste

roasted tomato salad

Again on the theme of roasted vegetable salads, this is very similar in execution to the piedmont roasted peppers.

It's another from Delia's summer cooking. Personally, I don't bother by skinning the tomatoes; too much effort, and leaving them on helps hold them together. If people don't want to eat the skins, they can just eat the innards.

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Ingredients

12 large tomatoes
2 large or 4 small cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
12 large fresh basil leaves
salt and freshly milled black pepper

For the dressing:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

To garnish: fresh basil leaves24 black olives

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6, 400°F (200°C).

You will also need a shallow roasting tin 16 x 12 inches (40 x 30 cm), oiled.

Skin the tomatoes first of all by pouring boiling water over them and leaving for 1 minute, then drain and, as soon as they are cool enough to handle, slip off the skins. (Protect your hands with a cloth if necessary.) Now cut each tomato in half, around the middle rather than vertically, and place the halves in the roasting tin (cut side uppermost) and season with salt and freshly milled pepper. After that, sprinkle on the chopped garlic, distributing it evenly between the tomatoes. Follow this with a few droplets of olive oil on each one, then top each one with half a basil leaf, turning each piece of leaf over to get a coating of oil.

Now place the roasting tin in the top half of the oven and roast the tomatoes for 50-60 minutes or until the edges are slightly blackened. Then remove the tin from the oven and allow the tomatoes to cool. All this can be done several hours ahead.

To serve the tomatoes, transfer them to individual serving plates, then whisk the oil and balsamic vinegar together and drizzle this over the tomatoes. Finally top each one with an olive and garnish with basil leaves. Lots of crusty bread is an essential accompaniment to this.

This recipe is taken from Delia Smith’s Summer Collection and Delia's Vegetarian Collection.