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5 seasonal tomato recipes to cook this month

Although we get them all year round, these fruits are absolutely at their best now to September, and will have a much stronger sweet and tangy taste

Thursday 30 May 2019 18:51 BST
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Roast seasonal tomatoes, orzo and halloumi bake

Here is a feasting dish that celebrates the vibrantly coloured tomatoes now in season, stirred into creamy orzo. All topped with golden pieces of melted halloumi and drizzled with basil oil.

Serves 6-8

Cook: 30 minutes

400g orzo
1kg mixed tomatoes
1 ltr boiling water
1/2 lemon
1 courgette, sliced
1.5tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
150g halloumi, cut into chunks
20g basil
150ml olive oil

Preheat the oven to 180℃. Add the orzo, tomatoes, courgette, salt and pepper to a roasting tin.

Mix well, then pour over the boiling water and zest of 1/2 a lemon. Bake for 15 minutes, covered.

Remove from the oven, stir in the juice of half a lemon then dot the halloumi on top. Roast uncovered for 10 minutes, until the halloumi has turned golden at the edges.

Finely chop the basil, mix with the olive oil, then drizzle over the dish before serving.

Recipe from Farmdrop.com

Crispy chicken legs with mixed cherry tomatoes, leeks and potatoes

Serves 4

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 1-1 ½ hours

4 chicken legs

Salt and pepper
1 leek
2 handfuls new potatoes
12 mixed cherry tomatoes
½ a bulb garlic
4 sprigs tarragon
1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 190°c and season the chicken legs with a generous amount of salt and pepper.

Slice the leek and halve or quarter the new potatoes depending on their size. Place in a wide shallow pan along with the cherry tomatoes, garlic cloves and tarragon.

Nestle the chicken legs into the pan in between the vegetables and drizzle over the olive oil.

Place in the oven for 1 - 1 ½ hours, turning the pan half way through, until the chicken is crispy, and the tomatoes have turned sticky and jam like.

Delicious served with spring greens.

Roasted tomato and cheddar waffles topped with fresh tomatoes, avocado and a fried egg

Serves: 4-6

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook 12-15 minutes

For the waffles

225g plain flour
2 tsps baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
450ml semi skimmed milk  
16-18 mixed Isle of Wight cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
50g mature cheddar, grated

For the topping

150g mixed Isle of Wight cherry tomatoes
2 Avocado 
4 Eggs 
Salt and pepper

To make the waffle batter, combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl. Whisk together. Crack in the eggs and slowly stir in the milk until a thick batter is formed.

Leave the batter in the fridge to rest while you roast the tomatoes. Place the tomatoes on a roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil and seasoning and place in a preheated oven (200°c) and roast until soft and sticky, about 15-20 minutes.

Once the tomatoes are cool, stir them through the waffle batter along with the grated cheddar and some seasoning.

Heat up the waffle iron and spray with a little nonstick oil. Spoon the batter into each waffle section, trying to get one roasted tomato in each ¼.

Close the lid of the waffle iron and allow to bake for 8-9 minutes.

While the waffles are baking, chop the rest of the tomatoes and drizzle with a little olive oil and season. Slice the avocado and set aside.

Heat a small frying pan and crack the eggs in and fry until cooked to your liking.

Once the waffles are cooked, remove from the iron and place on plates, followed by the fried eggs. Top with the fresh tomatoes and avocado and drizzle of olive oil.

Roasted tomatoes with whipped feta

Serves: 4

300g feta 
150g thick Greek yogurt​
1 lemon zested​
Olive oil
8 sprigs oregano, leaves removed
800g mixed Isle of Wight cherry tomatoes
8 garlic cloves 
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°c. Soak the feta in a small bowl of cold water for 15 minutes then drain and add to a food processor along with the Greek yogurt, lemon zest, a drizzle of olive oil and the oregano leaves.

Blitz in the food processor until the mixture is fully combined and smooth. Set aside in the fridge to keep cool.

Place the tomatoes and garlic cloves on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and seasoning. Place in the oven to roast for 15-20 minutes until just starting to colour.

Serve the whipped feta on a serving plate, topped with the roasted tomatoes and garlic.

Enjoy with crusty bread or a green salad.

Mixed cherry tomato focaccia

Serves: 6-8

Prep: 2 hours 30 minutes
Cook: 20-25 minutes

840ml warm water
15g fast acting dried yeast 
500g strong bread flour
800g mixed cherry tomatoes
Olive oil
8g Maldon sea salt 
25g oregano

Pour the warm water in to a large bowl and add the yeast. Whisk this together then add half the flour to form a very wet dough.

Place the bowl in a warm area to prove. After 40 minutes the dough should have risen, and you should now be able to see small bubbles within the mixture.

Add the remaining flour, salt and one tablespoon of olive oil and mix together thoroughly.

Turn out onto a floured surface and knead well until nice and smooth (about ten minutes). Place back in to a bowl, drizzle over a little olive oil and cover with a damp cloth and allow to prove once more (about 40 minutes).

When this is done turn out again on to a floured surface and stretch it to a large rectangle and then fold over on itself into thirds. Now there should be three layers.

Place on an oiled non-stick tray and drizzle with more olive oil. Push your fingers into the dough to spread it out and to make the ‘holes’. Pop a cherry tomato and oregano into each hole, pushing them down into the dough.

Allow it to prove once more until almost doubled in height (about 30 minutes) and then sprinkle over some Maldon sea salt.

Cook in a preheated oven at 220°c for 10 minutes. Turn down the oven to 200°c and turn the tray around. Cook for a further 15-20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and drizzle with a little more olive oil and fresh oregano.

Recipes from thetomatostall.co.uk

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