(Serves 6 to 8)

Put together like a classic summer pudding, and with the taste and texture of the tomato sandwiches I remember from my childhood, this is yet another dish with a bread and tomatoes theme.

A simple recipe, although rather messy to prepare, as you can see from the photograph, it works because of the pectin in tomatoes, which holds the pudding together without any need for gelatine, just as the pectin-rich redcurrants hold the summer pudding together.

It is deliciously fresh-tasting because the tomatoes are ripe, sweet and uncooked. For greatest effect, make it in a traditional pudding basin. The best bread I have found for this is a ready-sliced ħobża, a day or so old.

1.5kg sweet ripe tomatoes
12-15 slices, medium-cut, firm white bread with the crusts removed
Gozo sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sherry vinegar

Halve the tomatoes. Scoop out the seeds, juice and ‘jelly’ surrounding the seeds and put this in the blender or food processor with two or three whole tomatoes.

Blend to a thin liquid and sieve it. Chop or dice the halved tomatoes quite small and put in a bowl. Pour half the thin tomato purée over the tomatoes. Taste and then add just enough salt and pepper to season the tomatoes. Season the remaining liquid tomato mixture to taste.

Cut the bread into wedges, dip them into the tomato liquid and line small moulds as if making individual summer puddings, or a large pudding basin.

Spoon the chopped tomato into the lined pudding basin/s and cover with a round of bread. Cover the pudding/s with clingfilm, weigh them and refrigerate for six to eight hours or overnight.

To serve, turn out on to a chilled plate, decorate with herbs and serve with tomato vinaigrette, made with the remaining tomato liquid, flavoured with a dash of sherry vinegar and plenty of extra-virgin olive oil.