River Cottage

OVEN DRIED TOMATOES

Halve the tomatoes, or quarter particularly large ones. Scoop out and discard the seeds, if you prefer. Stand a wire rack over a double sheet of newspaper.

Combine the sugar with a teaspoon fine salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle a tiny pinch of this mixture over the inside of each tomato half, then put the tomatoes upside down on the rack. Leave for 1 hour for the juices to drip.

Preheat the oven to very low, about 100C/Gas Mark �. Transfer the tomatoes, turning them cut side up, to a large baking tray. Scatter with the thyme and bay, some black pepper and the olive oil. Place in the oven for 4–5 hours, until the tomatoes are semi-dried: i.e. considerably reduced but still quite tender and plump. This is how I like them. However, you can leave them in the oven for 7–8 hours if you prefer – to become much more like commercial ‘sun-dried’ tomatoes.

SPELTOTTO

To make the speltotto bring the stock to a low simmer in a small pan and keep over a very low heat.

Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the onions and sweat gently, stirring, for about 10 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and stir for a couple of minutes.

Add the spelt to the pan and stir for a couple of minutes, making sure all the grains are well coated with butter and oil.

Add the saffron and start adding the stock, about a quarter at a time, as you would for a risotto, stirring often and letting each addition be absorbed before you add the next. It should take about 25 minutes for the spelt to cook to a tender texture with a hint of bite still in the grains. By this time the swede will be completely tender too.

Stir in the chopped parsley and grated cheese. Add salt, plenty of black pepper and a few gratings of nutmeg. Serve, topped with more grated cheese.