“What the heck am I gonna do with all these cherry tomatoes?”

You hate to waste these beauties, but you can’t help wondering..... 

Too many tomatoes,too little time. Not a bad problem to have, actually. But it can be daunting to find ideas on how to use them all? Every time I think I´ve conquered the problem the thespian comes in from the garden with another handful of ripening beauties,and we are virtuously bound to include them in that nights supper.The problem has been a mutant plant that seeded itself at the outset of spring and we hadn´t the heart to remove it and now it has virtually taken over the first terrace,creeping across the calçadas, encroaching on the breakfast table and clinging to the bougainvillea with the intention of showing off its versatility as a climber.
Here are just a few of the ideas that I have come up, ten of which I have executed.Follow the links,or go to the recipes below

Home made tomato paste

Eat them whole as a fruit
give them to your neighbour
Fresh salsa
cooked salsa
Hamburger relish
Pasta sauce
Home made tomato paste
Oven roasted cherry tomatoes
Tomato sandwiches
Tomato soup
Olivada salad (recipe below)
Vodka infused cherry tomatoes
New potato salad with garden cherry tomatoes peas and mint pesto (recipe below)
Green tomato relish (recipe below)
Panzanella
Bacon and egg pie with cherry tomatoes (recipe below)
Pasta salad with cherry tomatoes,ricotta and rocket
Tomato juice
Passata
Grilled bruschetta
Tomato ketchup
Sundried tomato paste
Pizza sauce
Freeze them
Cherry tomato tart
Chilli tomato butter
Shakshukah for breakfast

New potato salad with garden cherry tomatoes peas and mint pesto
Serves four as a side dish
400g small new potatoes,kept whole and boiled
24 cherry tomatoes,kept whole
125g peas shelled
FOR THE PESTO
generous handful of mint leaves approx 30g
250 ml extra virgin olive oil
3-4 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 dessert spoon of honey
Put all the ingredients in a processor and liqidise.Taste and adjust the seasoning
To assemble the salad
Toss the cooked potatoes in a tablespoon of the mint pesto.
Stir in the tomatoes.Assemble in individual salad bowls and sprinkle with a carpet of peas.Tear or shred some chourlço or crispy bacon on top for garnish (optional) 

Stephanie Alexander´s Green Tomato Relish(adaptation) 
1.5kg green or semi-ripe cherry tomatoes 
2 large onions 
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
pinch of ground cloves
pinch of ground turmeric
100ml cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
100g sugar
1 teaspoon cornflour
Thinly slice the tomatoes and onions, then put all the ingredients except the cornflour
into a preserving pan.Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and cook, uncovered,
for 1 1/4 hours. Mix the cornflour to a cream with a little water. Remove a ladleful
of hot liquid from the pot and add to the cornflour cream.Stir, then quickly return
the mixture to the pot, giving it a good stir so that the liquid thickens evenly.
Cook for 15 minutes, then spoon into hot sterilised jars* and seal at once.
Store in a cool dark place for up to 1 year.

Bacon and egg pie with cherry tomatoes
This was a surprising twist I put on my classic bacon and egg pie.
i didn´t know if it would work because of the liquid content of the tomatoes,but with a little extra time in the oven it was delicious.
250g (8oz) shortcrust or puff pastry
6 eggs
1 cup (8fl oz/250ml)milk
4 rashers bacon chopped
1/3 cup grated mature cheddar cheese
2 bsp chopped chives
1 tbsp dill
2 tsp dijon mustard
cracked black pepper
6 thin rashers bacon,rind removed
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until its 3mm(1/4 inch) thick.place the pastry  in a 25cm(10 inch)pie dish and trim the edges.Refrigerate for 30 minutes.Prick the base of the pastry shell and line with non-stick baking paper.fill the shell with baking weights or rice and  bake at 180C (350F) for 5 minutes.( This process keeps the pastry crisp when adding wet ingredients to the pastry shell).Remove weights and paper,and cook for a further 5 minutes.Place the eggs and milk in a bowl and whisk to combine.add the bacon,cheddar,chives,dill,mustard,pepper and mix to combine.Pour the mixture into the pastry shell,top with the thin rashers of bacon and bake at 160c(315 for 35-45 minutes or until pie is set.serve in hot or cold wedges with a peppery rocket salad.Serves 6.
Olivada salad
Getting the biggest flavour from the simplest ingredients.With this room temperature pasta salad, which combines al dente pasta,creamy burrata, spicy-tangy peperoncini and salty green  olive tapenade and salami. 
 





























 
FOR THE OLIVADA  
4 cups coarsely chopped pitted green olives
4 tablespoons capers, drained
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
12 anchovies
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red chilli pepper
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon E.V olive oil
Mix all in a processor, as above adjusting quantity of olive oil until your desired consistency is achieved.   
FOR THE SALAD

500g dried tagliata pasta cooked in boiling water, then dressed copiously with olive oil  2 pints cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved 
1heaped tablespoon olivada
1 large ball of burrata cheese
8-10 leaves fresh basil, torn
lashings of cracked black pepper

Once the pasta has been cooked, toss it with olive oil and allow to cool down.
Halve or quarter the cherry tomatoes depending on their size. Take the cold pasta and add the tomatoes,then stir through the olivada.
Carefully tear pieces of the cheese into smaller strips and mix into the salad. Tear the basil leaves and sprinkle over the top of the salad. 
Season well with plenty of ground black pepper
Toss quickly to mix. Add more dressing if you prefer.
Toss well and transfer to a large serving platter.