This is a great-looking dish, as well as tasting the part. Using various types of more unusual, old-fashioned tomatoes, you can’t fail to impress. The shape, colour and taste of each variety all add to the dish in different ways. With the shot of gazpacho and some snowy-white, creamy mozzarella, this makes a lovely way to start a seasonal dinner party on a balmy evening in summer (should we get one).
Serves 4
■ 2 green peppers, deseeded
and white membrane removed
■ 2 shallots, peeled
■ 1 melon, deseeded and peeled
■ 1 celery stick
■ 1 garlic clove, peeled
■ 1 cucumber, peeled
and deseeded
■ Dash tabasco
■ Sea salt and crushed
black peppercorns
■ 1 carton tomato juice
■ 50g (2oz) flat parsley
■ 55ml (2fl oz) olive oil
■ 400g (13oz) mixed
heritage tomatoes
■ 2 balls buffalo mozzarella
■ 1 handful pea shoots
To prepare the gazpacho, place the peppers, shallots, melon, celery stick, garlic clove and cucumber in a blender and blitz.
Add the tabasco then season to taste, adding a little tomato juice if necessary.
Blitz the parsley and oil until it is the consistency of pesto.
Then slice the tomatoes and season them with sea salt and crushed black peppercorns.
To assemble, place a shot glass of the chilled gazpacho in the middle of the plate.
Fan the sliced tomato and mozzarella alternately around the glass.
Now finish with the parsley oil and the pea shoots.
More food in The Field
Ballotine of sea-trout with caper adn cucmber ketchup, herb and potato salad and brown shrimp fritters
Pimm’s No 1 jelly with garden spearmint ice