the tomatoes, basil & parsley in my garden were begging to be eaten so I’ve just knocked up this salad with them, plus white beans, finely chopped celery, capers and red chilli, lemon zest, plus a load of chopped blanched almonds and quite a punchy dressing with Dijon mustard. It’s FAB. Banging
We have a very bad track record with growing basil, however it started out: supermarket live plant, nursery grown, from seeds or whatever; just dies before we get to use it. I blame the flying snails.
Have got some excellent cherry tomatoes this year though.
They’ll be delicious in it. Use plenty!
I buy a pot of the shop basil, but immediately tease out the roots and plant them in three larger pots with gravelly soil. Then place them in a sunny sheltered spot standing on sharp gravel to deter the slugs. Supermarkets cram them into too little pots so they quickly choke when left in it.
Yeah, I've found that the supermarket basil when split out as you describe performs at least as well as nursery basil, but I've never really considered the actual soil - typically I'd use whatever I have around and that's usually a mixture of the soil from pots that carked it over the winter.
Ha! It really needs plenty of drainage.
Wonderful idea. A perfect farewell to summer.
Ahhhh My reply to Jo Wolff earlier this evening 🤗 bsky.app/profile/alan...
Can’t beat Housman for elegiac wistfulness.
It's so, bear with me, 'English'
Er, yes. Why does that now feel so awkward?
Besmirched I suggest
:(
How do you stop the basil overpowering everything?
It doesn’t. The dressing is quite punchy and the capers, chilli and lemon zest balance it well.
Thank you
Looks really delicious!
om nom!
I’ve just cooked down some of my tomatoes with a few chili seeds and some Gift of Oil balsamic vinegar. Ate with fresh linguine topped with fresh basil. Delish!
I make Sicilian exploding tomatoes cooked right down with chilli, garlic and fennel seeds …and a load of dried oregano for sauces and to spread on sourdough topped with avocado.
Ooh, thank you for another tomato recipe which is right up my street. 👍
It really is delicious. I make it with a kilo or 1.5 kilo of cherry tomatoes now. 3 cloves of garlic, 2 bay leafs and 1-2 red chillies plus a dsp of fennel seed and a dsp of dried oregano per 0.5 kg of cherry toms)
I have toms desperate to be picked off their vines - dinner tonight. Thank you!
Looks very fresh!
Tasty.😋
That’s quite the recipe. Love it! 😻
Well, that's impressive, and i have all the ingredients at home or in the garden, although my tomatoes still ain't red so might have to give up on them and go shop- bought.
It is SO GOOD.
I’ve a friend who can’t tolerate garlic, onions or wheat flour based stuff well (altho’ he loves them all) so it can be a bit of a cooking challenge for me. But this should hit the spot.
Taxi! They look banging!
They really are.
🤗🤗🤗
Ooooh! Those look GOOD! What are you planning to cook with them?
I'll freeze some whole, make passata for the freezer and more ratatouille. Cream of tomato soup maybe.
Honestly. My mouth is absolutely singing with flavour bursts.
Onions are evil...
I love them!
You can have them all then!
He should try a garlic confit. Cooking garlic breaks down the fructans, which people that have intolerance then find much easier to process.
I’ve tried that. And black garlic. He still can’t tolerate it. Sometimes worse than others.
Lose the celery and it’s perfect. 😊
I replaced red onion with celery as my friend can’t tolerate onion. But I prepare it v carefully, de-stringing it and chopping it v small for a little crunch and brightness. It’s surprisingly good!
Interesting. If only I could stand the smell of cut celery.
It isn’t my favourite either. But, as with so many things food related, the way something is used can really change its nature.
"Banging" oh dear 😆
