With the sun finally deciding to make an appearance in the UK, here at Nutrition Rocks we thought it was time to share with you some fresh spring recipes. These tasty recipes featuring some colourful tomatoes from The Tomato Stall are sure to get you in the mood for sunshine and summer. 

Isle of Wight Tomatoes Shakshuka

Serves: 2
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

You’ll need:

 2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped (or two if you like chilli heat)
1 crushed garlic clove
1 large beef tomato (approx. 300g) chopped
A handful of Piccolo tomatoes
1 tsp red wine vinegar
Salt & pepper
A pinch of sugar
2 free-range eggs
1 tbsp breadcrumbs
Fresh coriander to serve

What to do:

1. Heat the oven to 190°C.
2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in an ovenproof frying pan and fry a chopped onion until softened.
3. Add the chillies and garlic clove and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes and Piccolo tomatoes, then cook for 15-20 minutes.  Add the red wine vinegar, salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar.
5. Make 2 wells, crack in 2 free-range eggs, sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and bake for 6-8 minutes to cook the eggs.
6. Scatter with a few fresh coriander leaves and serve.

Isle of Wight Tomato Risotto

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour

You’ll need:

450g fresh whole Campari tomatoes or similar
2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
½ tsp sugar
Salt & pepper
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
800ml chicken or vegetable stock
15g butter
1 tbsp light olive oil
2 finely chopped echalion shallots
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
200g Arborio rice
150ml dry white wine
100g mozzarella roughly chopped
30g freshly grated Parmesan plus extra for serving
Chopped fresh basil for serving

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C.
2. Put the tomatoes and garlic in a bowl, sprinkle with the sugar and a touch of salt and freshly ground black pepper, drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat.
3. Lay the tomatoes and garlic halves on a baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes or until the skins of the tomatoes have collapsed and are just starting to brown.
4. Put the roasted tomatoes and garlic in a blender along with the chicken stock and blend until smooth then keep hot in a small saucepan.
5. Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan. Add the shallots and cook until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the rice rosemary and salt & pepper, stir and cook for one minute. Add the white wine, bring to a boil, and boil until the wine is mostly evaporated, 2-3 minutes.
6. Add about ¼ of the hot tomato mixture. Cook, stirring regularly, until most of the liquid has been incorporated, then continue adding a little at a time, stirring regularly as the rice absorbs the liquid (this will take 20-25 minutes). The rice will begin to swell and become creamy in texture. Stir in the mozzarella and Parmesan. Add salt and pepper to taste. If the rice is too dry, stir in a little extra hot stock.
7. Serve immediately in wide bowls, sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and chopped basil.

Isle of Wight Tomato Dhal with Shallot Tadka

Serves: 4-6
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour

You’ll need:

For the dhal:
500g vine tomatoes, quartered
1tsp sugar
Salt & Pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp ground coriander
200g red lentils, rinsed
½ tsp salt

For the shallot tadka:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fennel seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds and ½ tsp chilli flakes pounded together in a pestle and mortar
2 echallion shallots, sliced

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 190 C
2. Spread the quartered tomatoes on a baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar, salt and pepper.  Drizzle with 1tbsp olive oil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.  Let the tomatoes cool a little and then tip them into a deep bowl and roughly blend with a stick blender.
3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and spices and stir well for a couple of minutes then add the tomato mixture. Bring to a simmer, then cook, for 10 minutes before adding the lentils and salt. Pour in 800ml water, then bring the mixture back to a simmer for 20 minutes or so.  The lentils should be cooked and the dhal thickened by now. It will thicken further if you leave it to stand for a few minutes. Adjust the seasoning
4. Meanwhile, to make the tadka, heat the oil in a frying pan, add the spices and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring now and then, until the mixture smells toasty. Add the shallots and cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes or until they are soft and lightly browned. Season with a little salt.
5. Pour the dhal into a serving dish, top with the onion tadka and serve.

Credit: Isle of Wight Tomatoes @ The Tomato Stall - thetomatostall.co.uk