August Is Peak Tomato Season

A smoky tomato broth, a grilled peach, tomato and almond ‘ricotta’ salad scattered with roast almonds, and a sparky tomato tarte tatin. August is peak tomato season. This most versatile of fruits can be put to just about any use, from raw to slow-cooked and from oven- or sun-dried to desserts (believe it or not, they go incredibly well with summer berries, especially strawberries and raspberries).

Not only that, but tomatoes have high glutamate levels that rise even further as they ripen, which gives them an umami kick. However you prepare them, though, the key thing is never to keep tomatoes in the fridge: the chill breaks down their cell structure and, even more importantly, affects their flavour in an alarming way. 500g cherry tomatoes.

20ml balsamic vinegar. 50ml extra-virgin olive oil. 10g maple syrup.

Flaky sea salt. Plain flour, for dusting. 250g vegan puff pastry.

10 ml lemon juice. ½ tsp dijon mustard. 100g mixed salad leaves.

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6, and put the whole cherry tomatoes in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the balsamic vinegar with 30ml of the oil, the maple syrup and a good pinch of salt, then pour over the tomatoes and toss to coat. Dust a work surface with flour, then roll out the pastry to a 30cm circle.

Leaving a border all around the edge, spread out the harissa in a 24cm circle over the centre of the pastry. Spoon the tomatoes and their dressing into a 24cm oven-safe frying pan, lay the pastry harissa-side down on top, then tuck it in all around the edge of the tomatoes. Bake for half an hour, until the pastry is cooked through and golden.

Once the pastry’s cooked, remove the pan and leave it to cool for a few minutes. Meanwhile, make a dressing by whisking the remaining extra-virgin oil with the lemon juice and mustard. To serve, carefully invert the tarte tatin on to a large plate or board.

Dress the salad leaves and basil lightly, season with salt, and serve alongside. 1 whole garlic head. 4 shallots, peeled and sliced (300g net).

4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil. 1kg cherry tomatoes. ½ tsp smoked paprika.

2 heaped tbsp white miso paste. 5g kombu (roughly 1 sheet). 2 vegetable stock cubes.

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Wrap the garlic bulb in foil and roast for 45-60 minutes, until soft (while you’re at it, and seeing as the oven’s on anyway, you might as well roast a few more, because you can never have too much roast garlic in the fridge). Remove, leave to cool, then squeeze out the flesh from the papery skins. Light the barbecue and, while it’s getting hot, put a large saucepan on a medium heat and gently sweat the shallots in the oil with a healthy pinch of salt for about 10 minutes, until soft but not coloured.

Stir in the roast garlic flesh and paprika, and take off the heat. Barbecue the tomatoes on only one side until blackened, then tip them into the shallot pan. Stir in the miso and kombu, crumble in the stock cubes, then add three litres of water and bring to a boil.

Turn down to a steady simmer and cook for about half an hour, until reduced by a third. Leave to cool, then pass through a sieve and season with more salt to taste.