SERVES 2
When the tomatoes are juicy and ripe, simply marinating them is a lovely way to enjoy the fragrant fruit. By freezing the goat’s cheese you will be able to finely grate it over the dish to add a rich salty seasoning.
Method
- Melt the butter in a frying pan. Add the pumpkin seeds and toast them until they begin to crackle. Season with salt and drain them through a sieve.
- Preheat the oven to very low. Season the tomatoes with salt, dress with herb oil and place in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Bring the pickling liquor to the boil and pour over the cucumbers before leaving to cool.
- Char the outside of the cucumbers with a blowtorch or on a gas hob and slice them into rounds.
- Divide the tomatoes and cucumbers between two bowls and drizzle with herb oil.
- Add the toasted pumpkin seeds and grate over the goat’s cheese.
- Scatter the herbs and flowers over the top and serve.
Ingredients
- 20g butter
- 50g pumpkin seeds
- 10 plum or large cherry tomatoes, halved drizzle of herb and pollen oil
- 200ml standard pickling liquor
- 2 very young cucumbers, peeled
- 100g Cherwell or other fresh goat’s cheese, frozen 2 basil sprigs
- 4 bronze fennel fronds
- sweet cicely flowers
- marigold flowers
- sea salt
Recipes and photographs are from Roots by Tommy Banks, published in hardback by Orion, RRP £25.