Tomato

Tomato and Asparagus Mousse

Serves 4 Ingredients Method

6-8 lightly cooked asparagus tips

1⁄2 pint of liquid aspic jelly

1 1⁄4 lb of tomatoes

Chicken stock

6oz of curd cheese (or sieved cottage cheese)

1 clove of Garlic Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tblsp of chopped fresh basil

3 chopped spring onions

3 tsp powdered gelatine

3 tblsp of dry vermouth

 Arrange the asparagus tips decoratively in the base of a 1- 1 1⁄2 pint lightly oiled mould. Add thin layer of liquid aspic. Chill to set the asparagus in position. Add remaining aspic and chill once again. Skin the tomatoes in the usual way. Put into a liquidiser and blend to a pulp. Sieve pulp and make up to 3⁄4 pint with chicken stock. Return the tomato pulp to the liquidiser together with the curd cheese, garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Add the basil and spring onions. Blend until smooth. Dissolve gelatine in the dry Vermouth and add to the tomato mixture, making sure that it is evenly mixed. Pour carefully into prepared mould and chill for 3-4 hours until set. Unmould carefully onto a serving plate and serve with fingers of brown bread and butter.



Tomato and Haricot Bean Soup

Serves 4 Ingredients Method

4oz haricot beans, soaked overnight

4oz chopped streaky bacon

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 stems of chopped celery

1 crushed clove of Garlic

2 pints of beef stock cube

2 tblsp of tomato puree

1lb of tomatoes, skinned and chopped

Salt and black pepper

2 tblsp of chopped parsley

 Fry the bacon gently to extract the fat, add the onion and celery and fry in the bacon fat for 2-3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients apart from the Parsley and simmer gently until the beans are tender. Blend or liquidise until smooth. Return to the pan, add parsley and heat through.



Tomato and Anchovy Toasts

Serves 4 Ingredients Method

4 diagonal slices of French bread Olive Oil

1 clove of Garlic, bruised

6 large Tomatoes, roughly chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

8 Anchovy fillets chopped

 Brush both sides of the French bread slices with olive oil. Rub one side of each with the bruised Garlic. Toast under a hot grill on one side only. Top the untoasted sides with the chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste and the chopped anchovies. Sprinkle with a little extra olive oil and pop back under the grill for 2-3 minutes. Serve piping hot, perhaps with green salad.