Tastes of summer

Tomatoes, garlic and herbs are best-friend summer ingredients that form the bedrock of so many dishes. Ripe, home-grown tomatoes are so versatile and at their best at this time of year - slice them into salads, sun-dry them to intensify flavour, transform into pasta sauce or a pizza topper, make a cool gazpacho. Add a handful of herbs snipped from your garden and make your summer recipes sing!

Recipe

what you'll need

50g basil leaves
30g pine nuts, lightly toasted
30g Parmesan cheese, grated
1 clove of garlic, peeled
75ml extra virgin olive oil
salt and black pepper
small squeeze of lemon juice, optional

food processor method

Whiz together the basil, pine nuts, Parmesan and garlic, and with the motor still running, pour in the olive oil until the pesto thickens. Season to taste and add a small squeeze of lemon juice.

Basil oil

Put a large bunch of basil leaves and peeled clove of garlic into a food processor with a good pinch of salt and pepper, and with the motor running, slowly drizzle extra-virgin olive oil through the funnel until you have a lovely green purée. Pour into a jar, cover and store in the fridge. It makes an aromatic salad dressing and is delicious drizzled over pizza or roasted vegetables.