There is a glut of tomatoes and I am making full use of them while I can. Yes, they are available all year, but right now they are ripe, fragrant and bursting with sweetness, making even the simplest of dinners taste great. Roast them in a dry frying pan for salsa; stew them in lots of olive oil for a tomato sauce; or just chop and toss raw on to pasta or serve with fish, garlic, olives and herbs.

Tomato galette with mustard, Lincolnshire Poacher and tarragon

Tomato and tarragon are one of my favourite flavour pairings, especially here with the flaky, crumbly pastry and melted cheese. If you are short of time, you can use shop-bought puff pastry instead of making your own.

Prep 30 min

Chill 1 hr

Cook 45 min

Serves 6

200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

½ tsp salt

120g butter, cold, cut into cubes

3 tbsp iced water

For the filling

2 tbsp wholegrain mustard

140g ricotta cheese

140g Lincolnshire Poacher, or other mature, hard cheese, grated

2 tbsp creme fraiche

2 tbsp chopped tarragon leaves

Salt and black pepper

300g mixed cherry tomatoes, halved

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 egg, beaten with a dash of milk

First, make the pastry. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl, add the butter, and mix the butter into the flour with your fingertips, until you have rough, pea-sized lumps. Add the water, and lightly bring it together with your fingers into a dough. Shape into a disc, wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.

Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. On a floured surface, roll the pastry into a 25cm circle, repairing any tears. Transfer to a paper-lined baking tray. Mix the mustard, cheeses, creme fraiche and tarragon with a pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl, then spread this in the middle of the pastry circle, leaving a 4cm edge. Arrange the tomatoes on top of the cheese mix, cut-side up.

Pull up the edges of the pastry, pleating them as you work your way around and repairing any tears with leftover pastry. It doesn’t matter what it looks like at this stage – it will look glorious when it emerges golden from the oven. Drizzle the tomatoes with the oil and a pinch of salt, then brush the pastry with the egg wash; drizzle any leftover egg wash into the gaps between the tomatoes (so you don’t have to throw it away). Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the pastry is golden. Leave to cool slightly before serving.

And for the rest of the week

Chop any leftover tarragon and mash it with crushed garlic, seasoning and softened butter, then roll into a log, wrap and freeze. Any leftover ricotta can be baked with garlic and herbs for an easy starter with crusty bread, or whip with a little caster sugar and grappa to eat with peaches.