Roasted tomato passata

This uses our tomatoes, shallots and basil. Taken from the River Cottage book – Preserves by Pam Corbin. Pam uses the passata as a base for home made tomato ketchup.

Ingredients

  • 1kg ripe tomatoes
  • 100g shallots
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • A sprig of basil
  • Half teaspoon of salt
  • Half teaspoon black pepper
  • Half teaspoon sugar
  • 25ml olive oil

Method

  1. Cut the tomatoes in half and place in a roasting tin.  
  2. Scatter the remaining ingredients over the top and roast for an hour until softened.  
  3. Rub mixture through a sieve, bring the mixture to the boil and then bottle in sterilised jars.  
  4. Stand the sealed jars in a large saucepan with a folded tea towel on the base. Cover with warm water and bring slowly to simmering point then simmer for 10mins.  Carefully remove the jars and leave to cool.

Roast turnips with garlic and lemon

Lovely with pork chops, chickpeas or simply on their own. (Originally: Thomasina Miers)

Ingredients

  • Optionally, 4 pork chops
  • 8 medium turnips, peeled and cut into 1.5cm wedges
  • 2 heads fresh, young garlic, halved horizontally, plus 1 clove, peeled
  • 1 lemon, cut into eight wedges
  • 2 red onions, peeled and cut into rounds
  • 100ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 bay leaves
  • Few sprigs rosemary, leaves picked
  • 1 small handful thyme, leaves picked

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/ gas 6.
  2. Put the turnips, halved garlic heads, lemon wedges and onion in a baking tray, and toss with five tablespoons of olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper. Scatter over half the herbs, then put in the oven for 30-35 minutes, shaking the tray occasionally.
  3. If you’re using pork chops:
    • Prepare the chops. Put the garlic clove and remaining herbs in a mortar with several generous pinches of salt, and bash with a pestle until you have crushed everything into a paste. Stir in the rest of the oil, then scoop out and rub all over the chops.
    • After the turnips have baked for 10 minutes, put the chops on a baking tray and roast on the shelf above the turnips for 20 minutes, until golden. Remove the chops from the oven, cover with foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
  4. The turnips should now be golden, caramelised and cooked through, and the garlic soft. Remove from the oven, and serve, giving each plate half a head of garlic and a few slices of caramelised lemon and some onion. This is delicious served with garlic- and lemon-braised greens.