Jack Croft and Will Murray's English Tomato

Ingredients

• 2 large Red Bell Peppers (charred, skin lightly peeled)
• 3 tablespoons English Rapeseed Oil (high‑quality, for roasting and sautéing)
• 2 medium Green Courgettes (halved then diced fine)
• 1/2 cup Fresh Basil Leaves (loosely packed, chiffonade)
• 200 grams Ricotta Cheese (English ricotta, preferably from Burman Z)
• 400 grams Ripe Tomatoes (second‑class) (soft, sweet, bruised varieties)
• 2 tablespoons Fresh Mint Leaves (finely chopped, divided for garnish and marination)
• 200 grams Cherry Tomatoes (halved, to be lightly salted and marinated)
• 1 tablespoon Cider Vinegar (adds acidity to tomato marination)
• 2 tablespoons Pickled Shallots (thinly sliced, for garnish)
• 2 tablespoons Toasted Buckwheat Groats (adds nutty crunch)
• to taste Sea Salt
• to taste Black Pepper

Instructions

1. Char and Roast Red Peppers

   Brush the red bell peppers with rapeseed oil, char them over a high flame or under a broiler until the skin is blackened, then place them on a baking sheet, cover, and roast in a 180°C oven for 10‑12 minutes until softened.

   Time: PT15M

   Temperature: 180°C

2. Prepare Courgette‑Basil Puree

   Dice the courgettes finely, heat 2 tbsp rapeseed oil in a pan over medium‑high heat, add the courgettes and sauté 5‑6 minutes until just tender, season with a pinch of salt, then add the chiffonaded basil and cook another minute. Transfer to a blender, blend until smooth, pass through a fine mesh sieve, and chill.

   Time: PT10M

3. Combine Ricotta with Puree

   Stir 200 g ricotta into the chilled courgette‑basil puree (about half the volume of the puree) until fully incorporated and smooth.

   Time: PT3M

4. Peel Roasted Peppers

   Remove the charred skins from the roasted peppers, leaving a thin layer for smoky flavour, then roughly chop.

   Time: PT5M

5. Make Red Pepper‑Tomato Gazpacho

   In the blender, combine the peeled roasted peppers with the bruised tomatoes, add 1 tbsp rapeseed oil, blend until silky, then season with salt and pepper. Pass through the sieve for a velvety texture.

   Time: PT5M

6. Prepare Mint Garnish

   Finely chop half of the fresh mint leaves; set aside for garnish and reserve the other half for the tomato marination.

   Time: PT2M

7. Marinate Cherry Tomatoes

   Toss halved cherry tomatoes with a pinch of salt, 1 tbsp cider vinegar, 1 tbsp rapeseed oil, and the reserved mint. Let sit for 10 minutes to develop flavour.

   Time: PT10M

8. Toast Buckwheat Groats

   In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast 2 tbsp buckwheat groats until golden and fragrant, about 4‑5 minutes.

   Time: PT5M

9. Plate the Dish

   On each plate, place generous dots of the ricotta‑courgette puree, drizzle the red pepper‑tomato gazpacho around, add a mound of marinated cherry tomatoes, scatter pickled shallots, sprinkle toasted buckwheat, and finish with the remaining chopped mint.

   Time: PT5M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

260

Protein

8 g

Carbohydrates

15 g

Fat

12 g

Fiber

4 g