Since we got the polytunnel in 2020, every August bank holiday has involved harvesting and processing as many of the tomatoes as we can, with friends invited down for the weekend to lend a hand. This weekend will be no exception and alongside readying all of the equipment we’ll need to make passata, bottled tomatoes, passata and dried tomatoes, I have also been menu planning simultaneously.

One of our favourite quick lunches at this time of the year is tomatoes on toast. Thickly sliced beefsteaks, salt, olive oil and a sprinkle of vinegar, perhaps some finely chopped shallots, shredded basil, chives or flat leaf parsley. For guests we make the toasts more substantial with the additional of burrata, slices of buffalo mozzarella or crumbled feta.