Broth, tart and salad: Kirk Haworth’s vegan tomato recipes for summer

August is peak tomato season. This most versatile of fruits can be put to just about any use, from raw to slow-cooked and from oven- or sun-dried to desserts (believe it or not, they go incredibly well with summer berries, especially strawberries and raspberries). Not only that, but tomatoes have high glutamate levels that rise even further as they ripen, which gives them an umami kick. However you prepare them, though, the key thing is never to keep tomatoes in the fridge: the chill breaks down their cell structure and, even more importantly, affects their flavour in an alarming way.

Tomato tarte tatin (pictured top)

Prep 5 min
Cook 45 min
Serves 4

500g cherry tomatoes
20ml balsamic vinegar
50ml extra-virgin olive oil
10g maple syrup
Flaky sea salt
Plain flour, for dusting
250g vegan puff pastry
15g harissa
10ml lemon juice
½ tsp dijon mustard
100g mixed salad leaves
Basil leaves

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6, and put the whole cherry tomatoes in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk the balsamic vinegar with 30ml of the oil, the maple syrup and a good pinch of salt, then pour over the tomatoes and toss to coat.

Dust a work surface with flour, then roll out the pastry to a 30cm circle. Leaving a border all around the edge, spread out the harissa in a 24cm circle over the centre of the pastry.

Spoon the tomatoes and their dressing into a 24cm oven-safe frying pan, lay the pastry harissa-side down on top, then tuck it in all around the edge of the tomatoes. Bake for half an hour, until the pastry is cooked through and golden.

Once the pastry’s cooked, remove the pan and leave it to cool for a few minutes. Meanwhile, make a dressing by whisking the remaining extra-virgin oil with the lemon juice and mustard.

To serve, carefully invert the tarte tatin on to a large plate or board. Dress the salad leaves and basil lightly, season with salt, and serve alongside.

Barbecue tomato broth

Kirk Hayworth’s barbecue tomato broth.

Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hr 45 min
Serves 4

1 whole garlic head
4 shallots, peeled and sliced (300g net)
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
1kg cherry tomatoes
½ tsp smoked paprika
2 heaped tbsp white miso paste
5g kombu (roughly 1 sheet)
2 vegetable stock cubes

Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Wrap the garlic bulb in foil and roast for 45-60 minutes, until soft (while you’re at it, and seeing as the oven’s on anyway, you might as well roast a few more, because you can never have too much roast garlic in the fridge). Remove, leave to cool, then squeeze out the flesh from the papery skins.

Light the barbecue and, while it’s getting hot, put a large saucepan on a medium heat and gently sweat the shallots in the oil with a healthy pinch of salt for about 10 minutes, until soft but not coloured. Stir in the roast garlic flesh and paprika, and take off the heat.

Barbecue the tomatoes on only one side until blackened, then tip them into the shallot pan. Stir in the miso and kombu, crumble in the stock cubes, then add three litres of water and bring to a boil. Turn down to a steady simmer and cook for about half an hour, until reduced by a third.

Leave to cool, then pass through a sieve and season with more salt to taste. Serve chilled or reheat gently, and finish with a drizzle of good olive oil.

Grilled peach, tomato, almond ‘ricotta’ and roast almond salad

Kirk Hayworth’s grilled peach, acidulated tomato, almond ‘ricotta’ and roast almond salad.

Prep 10 min
Soak 4 hr+
Cook 30 min
Chill 2 hr+
Serves 4

For the almond ‘ricotta’
200g blanched almonds, soaked for at least 4 hours and up to overnight
30ml lemon juice, plus extra to taste
Salt

For the salad
4 ripe peaches
Neutral oil, for grilling
Extra-virgin olive oil
Flaky sea salt
50g blanched almonds
300g mixed tomatoes
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
Basil leaves, to serve

Drain and rinse the soaked almonds, then put them in the jug of a blender with 600ml cold water and blend smooth. Fine strain through muslin or a nut milk bag (or your thinnest tea towel at a pinch!), and really squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Pour the resulting nut milk into a saucepan, put it on a medium heat and slowly bring up to 85C, stirring occasionally. Once the milk is up to temperature, take the pan off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and leave to cool. Once cooled, strain the milk through a muslin-lined sieve into a bowl or container, cover and chill for at least two hours, and preferably overnight, during which time the “milk” will separate into curds and whey. Taste the almond “ricotta” and season with salt and a squeeze of lemon juice to taste.

Light the barbecue or put a griddle pan on a high heat. Cut the peaches in half, remove and discard the stones, then cut each half in half again and brush the cut sides with neutral oil. Grill the peaches flesh-side down, flipping as necessary until all the flesh sides are nicely charred and slightly softened, then brush the flesh with extra-virgin olive oil and season with a pinch of sea salt.

Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4, put the blanched almonds on a baking tray and roast for 10 minutes, giving them a shake halfway through. Remove, leave to cool, then roughly chop.

Depending on the size of your tomatoes, cut them in half, quarters or leave them whole, and put them in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the sherry vinegar, lemon juice and a tablespoon of olive oil until emulsified, then pour the dressing over the tomatoes.

To serve, dot a few spoonfuls of almond ricotta across four plates, then arrange the peaches and tomatoes in between. Tear the basil over the top, scatter on the almonds and serve.

• Kirk Haworth is chef/owner of Plates, London EC1