Tomate

Keep firm tomatoes at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, until ripe. If they are fully ripe and you need to keep them longer, refrigerate them and bring them back to room temperature before eating.

Halve or quarter them, toss with a little oil and spread cut-side up on a tray. Roast at 200 °C for about 20–30 minutes, until soft and lightly browned at the edges.

Cut a shallow cross in the skin at the base, lower the tomatoes into boiling water for about 30 seconds, then transfer them to cold water. The skins should slip off with your fingers.

Choose one that feels slightly yielding when gently pressed and smells fragrant around the stem. Avoid tomatoes with deep bruises, leaking spots or wrinkled skin.

Use them raw in salads and sandwiches, or cook them into pasta sauce, soup, shakshuka or ratatouille. Roasting concentrates their flavour and works especially well with garlic and herbs.

Tinned chopped tomatoes are a practical swap: use roughly the same weight and simmer until the sauce reaches the thickness you want. Tomato purée is more concentrated, so add it a spoonful at a time with a little water.

Botanically, a tomato is a fruit because it develops from a flower and contains seeds. In cooking, its savoury flavour means it is usually treated as a vegetable.