The tomatoes in our garden have taken an age to ripen this year, and all of a sudden we’ve had a bit of a rush on. Inspired by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s Guardian column this week, I’ve made some Passata.
The tomatoes are simply halved, placed cut-side up on a baking tray, scattered with sliced garlic and chopped rosemary, seasoned generously with salt and pepper and then drizzled with olive oil.
After an hour in the oven at 180°C, they are just blackening at the edges, and give off a delicious whiff of tomatoey, garlicky goodness as you open the oven door.
I blitzed them briefly with a hand blender, then passed the mixture through a sieve with a wooden spoon, and voila – intensely tomatoey and silky smooth passata.
You can either freeze this to brighten up a future winter day with the flavours of summer, or if you can’t wait, put it into a sterilized jar and it will keep for a few days in the fridge.
This would be a perfect pizza sauce, a simple accompaniment to spaghetti, or as a base for an intense tomato soup. A couple of spoonfuls would add a kick to sauces and stews, (though having gone to the trouble of growing the tomatoes then making it I would prefer to enjoy it in its purest unadulterated form).
The Veg Space 
The tomatoes look delicious and I can just taste what your passata would be like – this has inspired me to make some. I think it would be great on puff pastry with some goats cheese.
Yes what a brilliant way to use up the season’s tomatoes – sweet and rich tasting. Great drizzled on the side of a nice grilled white fish with minted buttered potatoes and we love Chutney & Spice’s puff pastry and goat’s cheese suggestion, too.