Let's talk about tomatoes

What is an Australian summer without the humble tomato? Serve it fresh, sliced on toast, in salads or in a pasta sauce with that other summer star, basil.

Australian cooking star Maggie Beer says there is nothing better than a late summer tomato (and we are still having a late summer), so take full advantage of them now.

From South America, the tomato is part of the nightshade family and although there are thousands of varieties, we are most familiar with the classics – cherry and cocktail, plum (or Roma), beef and truss. They are cultivated in greenhouses or in outdoor orchards and are grown for processing or for the fresh market. They are rich in vitamins A and C, potassium and the antioxidant lycopene.

Botanically a fruit (it contains seeds and grows from the flower of the plant), tomatoes taste best when left to ripen on the tree. Modern varieties are grown for looks and robustness rather than taste. For those able to grow their own, heirloom varieties are available through seed suppliers.

To savour tomatoes at their prime, you need nothing more than olive oil, salt and pepper, and crusty bread or sourdough toast.

There are many ways to take advantage of a surplus of tomatoes. My two favourites are roast tomato sauce and semi-dried tomatoes. Both can be frozen for a taste of summer outside of prime tomato season.

To semi-dry, cut in half, remove the hard core, drizzle with olive oil and lightly salt. Place in a single layer in an oven or dehydrator on 70˚C for several hours. While still a bit plump, remove tomatoes from the oven and freeze (unfrozen, they will go mouldy). Alternatively, crank up the oven and speed up the process, but try to do this when the weather is cooler. If they are well dried, they can be stored for a few days in olive oil.