PICK OF THE

tomatoes In season

Warm summer days delight us with sun-ripened tomatoes, and these four recipes showcase their flavour perfectly.

“For a final flourish, drizzle over extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil leaves.”

Fresh produce

TEST KITCHEN

TIP The base is made from quinoa which is gluten free and suitable for those with a mild sensitivity to gluten.

Summer lovin’ tomato tart

Fresh produce

Tempeh chips and mashed toms SERVES 4 PREP AND COOK TIME 30 MINUTES

300g block tempeh 2 tablespoons white (shiro) miso ⅓ cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon honey 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 250g cherry truss tomatoes 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fanforced). Line a large and small oven tray with baking paper. 2 Split block tempeh in half through the middle; cut crossways into 1cm wide chips. Stir miso, half the olive oil, honey and paprika in a large bowl; add tempeh chips, turn to coat. 3 Place chips on large lined tray. Place tomatoes on small tray, drizzle with red wine vinegar and remaining olive oil. Bake both trays for 20 minutes, turning chips halfway through cooking time, or until golden. Mash tomatoes lightly with a fork. Serve chips with tomatoes. Not suitable to freeze or microwave.

Fabulous fattoush SERVES 4 PREP AND COOK TIME 20 MINUTES

1 large (100g) Lebanese bread round ¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons za’atar 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 baby cos lettuce 1 Lebanese cucumber, sliced thinly 6 (300g) radishes, sliced thinly 3 green onions, sliced thinly 250g heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved ⅓ cup fresh mint leaves

1 Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fanforced). Line a large oven tray with baking paper. 2 Split bread round into halves; place crust-side down, on tray. Brush with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil; sprinkle with za’atar. Bake for 5 minutes or until crisp. 3 Meanwhile, whisk pomegranate molasses, remaining olive oil and lemon juice together in a large bowl. Add lettuce, cucumber, radishes, green onions and tomatoes. Sprinkle with mint, toss gently. Serve topped with crumbled bread.

Summer lovin’ tomato tart SERVES 4 PREP AND COOK TIME 40 MINUTES

½ cup (100g) quinoa ¼ cup (40g) quinoa flour ½ cup grated vegetarian cheddar 1 egg 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds 75g soft goat’s cheese ½ cup (125ml) cream 400g heirloom tomatoes, sliced ¼ cup small basil leaves

1 Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fanforced). 2 Bring quinoa and 1 cup of water to the boil in a small pan. Reduce heat to low; cook, covered, for 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Cool. 3 Combine quinoa, quinoa flour, vegetarian cheddar, egg and sunflower seeds. Press mixture into a 22cm loose-based tart tin. Bake 20 minutes or until golden. Cool. 4 Process the goat’s cheese and cream until smooth; spread into tart shell. Top with tomatoes and basil leaves. Season.

Fifty tomatoes and seed pasta SERVES 4 PREP AND COOK TIME 20 MINUTES

500g cherry tomatoes, halved 2 shallots, chopped finely ¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar 300g thin wholegrain spaghetti 50g pine nuts, toasted 50g pepitas (pumpkin seed kernels) 50g sunflower seeds 1 cup baby rocket leaves

1 Process half each of the tomatoes and shallots with the extra virgin olive oil and white balsamic vinegar until smooth. Season to taste. 2 Cook the wholegrain spaghetti in a saucepan of salted boiling water until almost tender; drain. 3 Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the pureed tomato mixture, remaining tomato halves, remaining shallot, toasted pine nuts, pepitas and sunflower seeds to combine. Stir in the baby rocket leaves. 4 Serve the pasta topped with grated vegetarian parmesan-style cheese or crumbled soft goat’s cheese, if you like. Not suitable to freeze or microwave.

RECIPES EXTRACTED FROM THE SEASONAL VEGETARIAN , $49.99, AVAILABLE WHERE ALL GOOD BOOKS ARE SOLD AND AWWCOOKBOOKS. COM.AU