Mid May was #britishtomatofortnight and we delved head first into enjoying tasty british grown sweet tomatoes, with this tasty piccolo and lemonade tomato and soft cheese bagel… Thanks to @britishtomatoes and @standagencyuk who sent us the most juicy fresh selection of these sweet vine tomatoes (the varieties are listed below)!
Piccolo – a premium cherry tomato on the vine… Very sweet with a distinctive flavour that provides a long lasting experience. The best in its class, a real favourite for snaking and salads, but can also be used in a range of hot dishes.
Lemonade – Yellow Cherry/Baby Plum (on the vine) A real break from the norm. A pale almost translucent yellow fruit that has an amazing flavour unlike anything else. A real crunch when bitten into and a wonderful addition to brighten any dish
Royal Star – Speciality Orange Cherry (on the vine) With a colour that is so unusual and a flavour to match, this variety provides a point of difference on both colour and taste, it is a lovely addition to any salad.
Join us in discovering some more amazing recipes below!
SEAFOOD & TOMATO PASTA
Seafood pasta is always a classic, only made better with great British tomatoes. This deliciously simple dish combines the two for a perfect summer dish!
Serves 2 Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking: 15 minutes
3tbsp olive oil
4 British Large Vine Tomatoes, skinned and finely chopped
1 red onion, finely chopped
Few drops of balsamic vinegar
160g small scallops
180g tagliatelle or linguine
200g cooked, peeled prawns
2tbsp chopped fresh parsley, plus extra to garnish
6-8 British Piccolo Tomatoes, halved
30g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Heat the olive oil in a frying pan. Add the chopped tomatoes and red onion and cook over a low heat for 10-12 minutes, until very soft, adding a splash of water if needed. Season with salt, pepper and a few drops of balsamic vinegar.
2 Meanwhile, cook the tagliatelle or linguine in lightly salted boiling water for 10-12 minutes, until tender.
3 Add the scallops to the tomato mixture and cook for 2 minutes, then add the prawns, parsley and piccolo tomatoes. Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute, until heated through.
4 Drain the pasta. Gently stir through the tomato mixture and share between two warmed serving bowls or plates. Serve, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and extra parsley.
Cook’s tip: No scallops available? Use a few more prawns and add a handful of thawed frozen peas. To skin tomatoes, put them into a heatproof bowl. Pour over boiling water and leave for 15-20 seconds, then drain. The skins will be easy to peel away.
———
BRITISH TOMATO SHAKSHUKA
Perfect for breakfast or brunch, this British tomato recipe tastes fantastic with crusty bread to mop up all the delicious juices.
Serves 4 Prep time: 20 minutes Cooking: 25 minutes
Suitable for vegetarians
500g British medium vine tomatoes
2tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 red peppers, deseeded and sliced
1 yellow pepper, deseeded and sliced
1/2tsp cumin seeds
1tsp mild chilli powder
1tbsp tomato puree
2tbsp chopped fresh parsley, plus extra to garnish
4 large eggs
50g feta cheese, crumbed
150g thick Greek-style yogurt
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crusty bread, to serve
1 Halve the British tomatoes and set to one side.
2 Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan that has a lid. Gently fry the onions,
garlic and peppers in the covered pan for about 10 minutes, or until very soft.
3 Add the cumin seeds, chilli powder, tomato puree and parsley, stirring well.
Season. Add the tomatoes and cook over a medium heat for about 8-10
minutes, uncovered, adding a splash of water if it begins to look too dry.
4 Stir well, then make 4 spaces among the ingredients. Crack the eggs into
these spaces and cook gently for a further 8-10 minutes, until set. If you like,
grill the top for a few moments to set the surface of the eggs.
5 To serve, crumble the feta cheese on top and sprinkle with extra parsley.
Season with a little extra black pepper. Put the yogurt into a bowl and sprinkle
with a little chilli powder. Serve alongside the Shakshuka with crusty bread.
Cook’s tip: This is great as a sharing dish, where everyone just eats straight
from the pan!
Whatever you do – make sure you try your local tomatoes. Don’t refrigerate them, no matter how tempted you are either, as they loose their true flavour. Do what you can to support and celebrate British Tomatoes all year round!