0:00:02 > 0:00:07- Some of the best British produce is under threat.- At the mercy of foreign invaders.- And food fashion.
0:00:07 > 0:00:12- Produce around for centuries. - Could die out within a generation.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15- So together we're on a mission. - To save it!
0:00:15 > 0:00:19We'll tell you how to find it, grow it and cook it.
0:00:19 > 0:00:24- And put sensational British produce. - Back on the food map.
0:00:56 > 0:01:02My name is Gary Rhodes and I'm passionate about a fruit that is so often misunderstood
0:01:02 > 0:01:08and not recognised as one of our great British ingredients - the British tomato.
0:01:08 > 0:01:16Now there's no denying we love tomatoes. We buy 500,000 tons of them every year,
0:01:16 > 0:01:20but 70% of these are shipped in from as far as Israel and Morocco,
0:01:20 > 0:01:24leaving the British tomato grower in the cold.
0:01:24 > 0:01:32I fell in love with tomatoes as a little boy at the corner shop, where it was all British tomatoes.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36That was all we had. There were no super airliners flying them in.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40They were true home-grown, soft, they were ready to eat.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44'I'm going to try to revive the fate of the great British tomato.
0:01:44 > 0:01:49'I'll be meeting a grower who's turning waste into watts.'
0:01:49 > 0:01:53Not just British. This is a true green tomato.
0:01:53 > 0:01:58'Rediscovering the incredible shapes and sizes we could be tucking into.'
0:01:58 > 0:02:03- We grow 63 varieties.- 63?!- Some of the older ones are 100 years old.
0:02:03 > 0:02:08'And what better way to honour the good old British tom than a three-course menu
0:02:08 > 0:02:13'with a show-stopping tomato pudding.' Oh, look at that.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17It's really quite odd. All I'm eating here is sweet tomato.
0:02:21 > 0:02:27'In the UK, this juicy little fruit has been demoted to an everyday ingredient,
0:02:27 > 0:02:30'available 365 days a year.'
0:02:30 > 0:02:32I couldn't tell you their season.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35I buy tomatoes all year round.
0:02:35 > 0:02:42Out of season, you've got no choice. You've got to buy Spanish-grown or Dutch-grown.
0:02:42 > 0:02:49We just put them in the trolley. We don't mind where they come from. As long as they're tasty.
0:02:49 > 0:02:55'Only 30% of the tomatoes we eat are home-grown, a fact that sadly says it all.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59'I've travelled to Barnham, home of one of our largest tomato growers,
0:02:59 > 0:03:03'to find out where we're going wrong.'
0:03:03 > 0:03:07From the general public's point of view, a tomato is a tomato.
0:03:07 > 0:03:13It's deep red, it maybe has a little bit of different texture or shape or size about it,
0:03:13 > 0:03:18but really where it's from does that bother our public?
0:03:18 > 0:03:24I hope so, because we're very proud of the product that we grow as British growers.
0:03:24 > 0:03:29A lot of the imported tomatoes are a little bit cheaper.
0:03:29 > 0:03:35- How are we going to counter that? - We've got to get the consumer to recognise the investment that goes in
0:03:35 > 0:03:38to make British tomatoes the best.
0:03:38 > 0:03:44Literally, it's millions of pounds that are invested before the first tomato is even picked.
0:03:44 > 0:03:49We've got to make sure the consumer recognises what British represents.
0:03:49 > 0:03:56It's fresh. It can be picked within 24, 48 hours and be on your plate. That is fantastic.
0:03:56 > 0:04:02Are we buying because of some kind of shelf-life here? Because imported last an extra week or more?
0:04:02 > 0:04:04It should be the other way round.
0:04:04 > 0:04:12If product is travelling from Spain, from Italy, the Canaries and takes four, six, seven, eight days,
0:04:12 > 0:04:18it has less of a shelf life. Buying British guarantees a better shelf life.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22It can be picked, packed, in the store within 24 hours.
0:04:22 > 0:04:27I want to know how we can take all of this, show it off and sell it.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31Tomato production actually starts towards the end of February.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35And we finish at the end of October, so it is a long season.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37But May is a key time for us.
0:04:37 > 0:04:44We actually have British Tomato Week which kicks off in May every single year.
0:04:44 > 0:04:50It's when volumes are at their highest. If we get supermarket support to push that even more,
0:04:50 > 0:04:55it'll be a huge benefit for us, the consumer and the supermarkets.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59I'll only buy tomatoes during that British season.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03This is the message I want to get across.
0:05:03 > 0:05:08'We need to pay a little bit extra for a premium ingredient
0:05:08 > 0:05:12'and savour British tomatoes when they're at their best.'
0:05:14 > 0:05:18Now you've seen where they're from, I want to show you what we can do.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26It's incredible. Here I am making an Italian dish
0:05:26 > 0:05:32to show off the great British tomato, but I think the British can do just as well, if not better.
0:05:32 > 0:05:39'My version uses beautifully sweet British plum tomatoes and I'm oven-roasting them
0:05:39 > 0:05:43'to intensify their already amazing flavour.'
0:05:43 > 0:05:48Let's take a bowl. There's one or two flavours I want to add to it.
0:05:48 > 0:05:54'First, thyme - two or three little sprigs.' It's there to enhance, to add something.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56A hint of garlic.
0:05:56 > 0:06:01Just lightly press these on the board.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05And they become that little bit easier to peel.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08'Use as much or as little as you like.'
0:06:10 > 0:06:12There's plenty in there.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16Now, other things to add: some icing sugar here.
0:06:16 > 0:06:21'A generous pinch to bring out the tomatoes' natural sweetness.'
0:06:21 > 0:06:23Some sea salt.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28A twist of black pepper.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34And I'm going to add just a touch of olive oil. This is extra virgin.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37It adds quite a lot to this dish.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42That's how simple this dish is.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46'These fragrant little toms will be the star of my salad.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50'I just need to pop them into a low oven for 20 minutes.'
0:06:50 > 0:06:57So while they're cooking, I want to make a dressing also using the tomatoes.
0:06:57 > 0:07:02These look fabulous here. Really rich, beautiful to eat.
0:07:02 > 0:07:08And all I want to do is literally chop them up, quarter them roughly like this.
0:07:08 > 0:07:13This is what I love about really good cooking. It can be so simple.
0:07:13 > 0:07:20There's so much intense flavour here. It needs very little. That's the beauty of British ingredients,
0:07:20 > 0:07:25particularly these tomatoes. 'All I'm going to do is get them in a blender
0:07:25 > 0:07:30'with a couple of their sun-dried cousins for added depth.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34'Give them a blitz.
0:07:37 > 0:07:43'And push them through a sieve so I'm left with a smooth, rich tomato puree.'
0:07:45 > 0:07:47Look at that.
0:07:47 > 0:07:52A couple of other bits and pieces to add - English mustard is nice,
0:07:52 > 0:07:58but a little bit too harsh for the tomato. I'm going for Dijon, which still gives strength of flavour,
0:07:58 > 0:08:01but not too strong or powerful.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05'Then a couple of teaspoons of red wine vinegar,
0:08:05 > 0:08:07'a dash of sugar,
0:08:07 > 0:08:11'a pinch of salt, then pepper
0:08:11 > 0:08:13'and some extra virgin olive oil.'
0:08:13 > 0:08:19I'm also going to add to it a little touch of sesame oil. Not essential,
0:08:19 > 0:08:22but it does add that nutty bite.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27'And, finally, the tomato puree.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33'20 minutes later and our oven-roasted tomatoes are ready.'
0:08:33 > 0:08:39There we are. That has such a great flavour and all we've done is warm them.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43'What they need now is a bed of creamy British mozzarella,
0:08:43 > 0:08:48'a drizzle of the nutty tomato dressing,
0:08:48 > 0:08:50'a squirt of fragrant basil oil
0:08:53 > 0:08:58'and a scattering of baby basil leaves.' That's it. Very simple.
0:08:58 > 0:09:03Very flavoursome. That is a British tomato and mozzarella salad.
0:09:09 > 0:09:14'I'm on a journey to rediscover the virtues of the British tomato,
0:09:14 > 0:09:16'an ingredient I should find here.'
0:09:16 > 0:09:23This is New Covent Garden Market where they turn over £11 million of fruit and veg every week.
0:09:24 > 0:09:31'With over 200 wholesalers supplying Michelin-starred restaurants to local cafes
0:09:31 > 0:09:35'it's the perfect place to find out why we're not growing British.'
0:09:35 > 0:09:41This is more than a surprise. You don't expect to see this from home-grown, do you?
0:09:41 > 0:09:48It's just a wonderful collection. It's incredible. As far as I'm concerned, if I'm looking at that,
0:09:48 > 0:09:52- I have just bought these from a Sicilian market.- Yeah.
0:09:52 > 0:09:58- It has that kind of shape about it, but these are from our own soils. - Yeah, absolutely.
0:09:58 > 0:10:04'Not known for our good weather, we have to grow our tomatoes in greenhouses
0:10:04 > 0:10:09'that require heat and irrigation, making them more expensive.'
0:10:09 > 0:10:14What can we do to really help and support the British grower?
0:10:14 > 0:10:20If you went back 10 or 15 years ago, there was a lot of small, independent growers on the south coast, all over.
0:10:20 > 0:10:28Unfortunately, the price just hasn't gone up. We have all the cheaper imports from primarily Holland
0:10:28 > 0:10:34and they seem to get cheaper every year and the small independent English grower can't keep up.
0:10:34 > 0:10:42For me it's like an investment. What it's going to supply you with some of your greatest culinary memories.
0:10:42 > 0:10:49Just those extra few pennies to buy ingredients like this. This is a chef's dream.
0:10:49 > 0:10:54'But a dearer price tag isn't the only side effect to greenhouse growing.
0:10:54 > 0:10:59'The heat needed costs the environment, too,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02'resulting in British tomatoes having a higher carbon footprint,
0:11:02 > 0:11:08'a problem John and Caroline Jones are tackling head-on at their farm in Hertfordshire.'
0:11:08 > 0:11:13- What is it like being a British tomato grower?- It's not easy.
0:11:13 > 0:11:19Production costs are going up, supermarkets in general are trying to squeeze the price,
0:11:19 > 0:11:25these structures you see behind, we have to heat these the whole long season, even in the summer.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29- These are heated throughout the year?- In the summer as well.
0:11:29 > 0:11:34We need a slight amount of heat going through the pipes.
0:11:34 > 0:11:39- But this must be very costly. - It is. Very.
0:11:39 > 0:11:44'But they've found a revolutionary way to reduce their costs and their carbon footprint
0:11:44 > 0:11:49'and it could change the fate of the British tomato industry.'
0:11:49 > 0:11:52I didn't expect to see this!
0:11:52 > 0:11:54That is incredible.
0:11:54 > 0:12:00- So this is what is creating your electricity? - This is the waste vegetables
0:12:00 > 0:12:03that powers our turbines.
0:12:03 > 0:12:09I am in a state of shock. I cannot believe it. There are so many.
0:12:09 > 0:12:15All these great flavours sitting here. And it just goes to show how much wastage there is
0:12:15 > 0:12:21- with great food.- There is, but we're putting it to very good use. - Absolutely, absolutely.
0:12:21 > 0:12:27'It's a unique system that converts rotting fruit and veg from markets like Spitalfields
0:12:27 > 0:12:33'into green electricity to heat their greenhouses. And what's even more incredible
0:12:33 > 0:12:35'is they did it all themselves.'
0:12:35 > 0:12:39- It sounds so simple. Is it that easy?- Absolutely not!
0:12:39 > 0:12:46It's been a real trial and tribulation over the last 5 years. We're nearly there now.
0:12:46 > 0:12:51We are making methane gas and generating electric and heating our nursery,
0:12:51 > 0:12:55but there's been several divorces on the way!
0:12:55 > 0:13:00'All this for the humble British tomato. And to think everything from the hot water
0:13:00 > 0:13:07'to the CO2 pumped in to enrich the atmosphere has come from that waste fruit and veg.'
0:13:07 > 0:13:11And here is the end result. Beautiful British tomatoes.
0:13:11 > 0:13:17- Not just a British tomato. This is a true green tomato. - It could be said.
0:13:17 > 0:13:24- Stunning. Look at the richness and the colour on that.- Superb. - We've done everything we can
0:13:24 > 0:13:28- to reduce our carbon footprint to a minimum.- Stunning.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32It's sweet, it's wonderful. Look at all those rich juices.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36And the colour of the flesh is stunning.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40That is where we win over an imported tomato.
0:13:40 > 0:13:47We can allow these to stay on the plant until we get that fantastic red colour and all its flavour,
0:13:47 > 0:13:53- whereas imports are picked so far in advance, they're green... - Days and weeks in advance.
0:13:53 > 0:14:00So it's very hard, it doesn't develop that full richness. But that's what I'm tasting here.
0:14:00 > 0:14:07'What an inspirational couple. They really are setting an example to the rest of the industry
0:14:07 > 0:14:12'and I can't wait to show off their produce in the Revival kitchen.'
0:14:12 > 0:14:14So for my second recipe,
0:14:14 > 0:14:20I've chosen, of course, John and Caroline's lovely, rich, sweet tomatoes.
0:14:20 > 0:14:26And to go with them, an equally sweet fish - salmon. Absolutely delicious.
0:14:31 > 0:14:36'These tomatoes are so delicious, they hardly need any cooking.
0:14:36 > 0:14:41'All I've done is blanch them in hot water to remove the skin and seeds.'
0:14:41 > 0:14:45That's the beauty I found with John and Caroline's tomatoes.
0:14:45 > 0:14:51Even in its totally raw state, with skin and seeds, it was wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55Now you'll notice I'm being quite generous with these.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59If you've got something as tasty as this, enjoy it.
0:15:00 > 0:15:06'I'm going to warm them through with a handful of juicy grey shrimps and then plenty of chopped herbs,
0:15:06 > 0:15:13'added at the end, so they keep their exquisite taste and texture. With a beautiful fillet of salmon.'
0:15:13 > 0:15:20Easy to cook, only takes minutes. That's the great thing with this dish. It's very quick to cook.
0:15:21 > 0:15:27'If you want to cook it perfectly every time, dust the fish with flour to prevent it from sticking
0:15:27 > 0:15:32'and resist the temptation to season until halfway through.'
0:15:32 > 0:15:37If you start throwing salt in now, it can draw some juices from it.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41Then it begins to stew in the pan rather than fry.
0:15:41 > 0:15:47'I'm serving spinach with it, simply thrown in the pan with a knob of butter.'
0:15:47 > 0:15:50These are actually going to steam.
0:15:50 > 0:15:55'As soon as the salmon starts to turn pink, it's safe to season it.'
0:15:55 > 0:16:00A touch of table salt is all I'm using here. Again, that twist of pepper on top.
0:16:04 > 0:16:10So the spinach is cooked. Let's get rid of that pan. Let's look at the salmon now.
0:16:10 > 0:16:16You can see how far that line has come up the side of the fish, telling me it's almost ready.
0:16:18 > 0:16:24'All I need to do now is add a knob of butter and a squeeze of lemon juice to moisten the fish.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29'And then heat up the little grey shrimps.'
0:16:29 > 0:16:36What you don't want to do is fry them. Fry them and they toughen. That's not what we're after.
0:16:36 > 0:16:42Next our tomatoes. Let's throw some nice tomatoes in there so they can warm as well.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45Plenty of them.
0:16:46 > 0:16:52'And, lastly, a handful of chopped herbs for flavour and colour. I'm using chervil, tarragon and chives.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56'And it's as simple as that.'
0:16:56 > 0:17:00Look at the fish. You can still see how soft that is.
0:17:00 > 0:17:06Still slightly pink in the centre which means it's retained lovely juices, maximum flavour
0:17:06 > 0:17:12and that lovely sweetness which is going to accompany the wonderful, wonderful tomatoes.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17'Just pop the fish on a bed of spinach.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22'And spoon on the warm tomato and shrimp.'
0:17:22 > 0:17:28Very simple dish, but it holds so much sort of character and flavour.
0:17:28 > 0:17:34The strength of tomato is really quite phenomenal. You can almost smell the sweetness.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38Right. Let's tuck in.
0:17:39 > 0:17:44Now you can still see... What did I say? That little pink left in the salmon itself.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Wonderful and moist.
0:17:51 > 0:17:52Mm.
0:17:55 > 0:18:01That holds quite a melting experience. The softness of the fish,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04the gentle little bite of the lovely shrimp,
0:18:04 > 0:18:09but the real maximum flavour is found from the British tomato.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Quite sensational.
0:18:15 > 0:18:21'Our love affair with tomatoes has always been about much more than just eating them,
0:18:21 > 0:18:28'something I'm keen to explore further at Audley End Organic Kitchen Garden in Essex
0:18:28 > 0:18:32'where they keep the Victorian appetite for variety alive.'
0:18:32 > 0:18:37The Victorians had a strange attitude towards tomatoes. They were newish.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41They grew them, but wouldn't eat them. They believed them poisonous.
0:18:41 > 0:18:47- Really?- Yeah. They grew them as ornamentals and would show them off to their friends.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50Somehow they crossed over and began eating them.
0:18:50 > 0:18:56'And thanks to their experimentation, a wealth of British varieties were born,
0:18:56 > 0:18:58'some resurrected here.'
0:18:58 > 0:19:02- We grow 63 varieties of tomato. - 63?!- Yes.
0:19:04 > 0:19:11- Oh, my goodness, me!- Like a food shop.- This is phenomenal! Are these all British?- The majority are.
0:19:11 > 0:19:17- There are one or two Americans, but most of them are British. - How old are these?
0:19:17 > 0:19:19Some are almost 100 years old.
0:19:19 > 0:19:26'It's taken Mike over a decade of careful growing to bring these Victorian varieties back to life
0:19:26 > 0:19:32'and he's done it with the help of the Heritage Seed Library, a charity conserving rare seeds.'
0:19:32 > 0:19:36- A classic is Auntie Madge's. - Oh, the little sort of plums?
0:19:36 > 0:19:40- Baby plums.- That was found in the corner of someone's potting shed
0:19:40 > 0:19:45and was sent to the seed library. The real name has long been lost,
0:19:45 > 0:19:52- so they gave it the name Auntie Madge's so we'll stay with that. - Absolutely. You're supporting it.
0:19:52 > 0:19:57There are many, many... Plumpton King, Earl of Edgecombe.
0:19:57 > 0:20:02These are all from certain farms, certain families who sent them in?
0:20:02 > 0:20:09Yes. Some are straight from nurseries. Others have been found in granddad's garden
0:20:09 > 0:20:15- in a box or a drawer. That's the beauty of the seed library.- I'd love to try one.
0:20:15 > 0:20:21- There's a lovely red one there. - One of these?- Take that nice one. - This is called Welsh Farmer Laws.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Look at that. Beautiful.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27And actually you smell that...
0:20:27 > 0:20:31It smells so beautiful and rich. Absolutely wonderful.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35That'll be quite sweet, I imagine. I'll let you know.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38Look at the colour on it.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40Ohh...
0:20:41 > 0:20:46That is quite immense in its flavour. Absolutely stunning to eat.
0:20:46 > 0:20:53- Should we be encouraging more and more people to grow their own? - Definitely. I'll show you how.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55That's a good start.
0:21:00 > 0:21:06- Pop it there.- There he goes. - You've partly eaten it, but left us some to work with.
0:21:06 > 0:21:12All you really need to do is simple. We've a sheet of kitchen paper. Go after the individual seeds
0:21:12 > 0:21:19and just let them dry on the paper. Store them in an envelope, somewhere relatively dry for wintertime.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23It's incredible just seeing this because it's given me inspiration.
0:21:23 > 0:21:30I hope it gives everybody watching and seeing this equal inspiration to start growing our own.
0:21:30 > 0:21:36'Even if you don't have a garden, you can still get involved.
0:21:36 > 0:21:42'Take the residents of Brighton and Hove. They've set up a community vegetable plot in the local park,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45- 'which is run by volunteers.' - Over 100 people
0:21:45 > 0:21:49have asked to be involved or given a few hours to help.
0:21:49 > 0:21:54One of our gardeners is growing two dozen varieties of tomatoes.
0:21:54 > 0:21:59That's the San Marzano, a plum variety like you find in your tins.
0:21:59 > 0:22:04We try to grow things people might not think of growing, something new.
0:22:04 > 0:22:11These are a black cherry. It's supposed to be the sweetest tomato you can get.
0:22:11 > 0:22:17To plant a seed and wait a few months until food is ready to be eaten, that's really rewarding.
0:22:17 > 0:22:24This actually came from a shop last year and I liked it so I kept the seeds.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27And grew them this year.
0:22:28 > 0:22:36'They also organise allotment shares so neighbours with no outside space can muck in and share the harvest.'
0:22:36 > 0:22:43- They're one of the... - The main thing you look forward to. - Our own tomatoes!
0:22:43 > 0:22:48One of the plants was really big. My little boy thought that was amazing.
0:22:48 > 0:22:54'They even encourage local businesses like this restaurant in the centre of Brighton
0:22:54 > 0:22:58- 'to make the most of whatever space they've got.'- This is our bin alley.
0:22:58 > 0:23:05I started these off in my little back garden in a plastic greenhouse, then brought them here.
0:23:05 > 0:23:11They've shot up the wall. I've got some big beef tomatoes that will make fantastic chutney.
0:23:11 > 0:23:18These little tomatoes garnish my salads. If you can say you've done something on the premises
0:23:18 > 0:23:23and it's literally come off the vine, it's such a good story to tell customers.
0:23:25 > 0:23:30For my final recipe, I'm going to make a dessert.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34That really will show you how versatile these tomatoes are.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36Let's face it, they are a fruit.
0:23:36 > 0:23:42I thought they must work in a pudding. This one's going to be a little different.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51Where are the white tomatoes from? From here.
0:23:51 > 0:23:59Just look. They're giving wonderfully. Almost that slightly overripe stage.
0:23:59 > 0:24:06They'll be quite sensational, giving me a lot of juice to make that white in the sorbet.
0:24:06 > 0:24:13'A kilo of these plump tomatoes should give me about a pint of juice.
0:24:13 > 0:24:20'Just chop them roughly and pop them in a blender, stopping and starting so as not to overwork them.'
0:24:21 > 0:24:24You can see this looseness.
0:24:24 > 0:24:30That red will all be left behind and it's the pure white juice that you're going to extract.
0:24:31 > 0:24:38'And I'm going to do this by pouring the chopped tomatoes through a piece of muslin.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41'It will take some time to drip through, but it's worth it.
0:24:41 > 0:24:46'You can use the pulp for soups or pasta sauces.'
0:24:47 > 0:24:53Once it's all dripped through, you can see that slight little tone in it of the tomato.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57Almost a kind of yellow, if you like. An orangey-yellow.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00But that is white tomato liquor.
0:25:00 > 0:25:07The next thing I'm going to make with it is, of course, the base. It won't make a sorbet on its own.
0:25:07 > 0:25:12'Simply dissolve some liquid glucose in a pan with some caster sugar.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17'Add the tomato water and leave to cool.'
0:25:17 > 0:25:22You need to add that sweetness to prevent it setting like a big block of ice.
0:25:22 > 0:25:27While that's happening, I'll make the actual almond pudding itself.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31'It's a simple sponge mix made entirely in the food processor
0:25:31 > 0:25:35'that starts with the dry ingredients, including almonds,
0:25:35 > 0:25:40'and some digestive biscuit crumbs to give it texture
0:25:40 > 0:25:43'and room-temperature butter.'
0:25:43 > 0:25:47It's so quick and easy. Every single ingredient in together.
0:25:47 > 0:25:52'To end, add the wet ingredients, namely three eggs,
0:25:52 > 0:25:58'which once blitzed into a soft runny batter is simply poured into moulds.'
0:25:59 > 0:26:04You want to fill them probably about two-thirds, three-quarters full.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07Now straight into the oven. 140 degrees.
0:26:07 > 0:26:13And we're going to leave these now for about 15 or 20 minutes. On they go.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17Right. Let's finish off now our sorbet mix.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Let's have a little stir.
0:26:21 > 0:26:27You certainly can't hear the little grains of sugar in there so you know it's absolutely ready.
0:26:27 > 0:26:33'Once it's cooled, pour it into an ice cream machine to churn to the right consistency
0:26:33 > 0:26:36'and pop it into the freezer to set.'
0:26:36 > 0:26:41If you don't have an ice cream or sorbet machine, don't worry.
0:26:41 > 0:26:47Set it, as a block, and then put it into a food processor to create that very thick slush.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51Refreeze it and you'll have an ice cream.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53Let's have a look at the sponges.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Here, let me show you these.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00I think they look lovely.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02Slightly soft in the centre.
0:27:02 > 0:27:07You can see just getting that little colour around the outside.
0:27:07 > 0:27:12And we've got the sorbet. Now this is how it got its title
0:27:12 > 0:27:15of white tomato sorbet.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19You can see it's firmed up just enough.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23Let's have a little taste. Take a clean spoon.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25And we can just... Look at that.
0:27:29 > 0:27:34It's really quite odd because all I'm eating here is sweet tomato.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36It's almost got a strawberriness.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39It's absolutely delicious.
0:27:39 > 0:27:45So, without burning myself, let's see if we can pop one of these... There we are.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48Take that out of the mould.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51There you have a lovely sponge.
0:27:51 > 0:27:57'I'm serving this with a tangy lime syrup that soaks into the sponge, keeping it nice and moist.'
0:27:57 > 0:28:00Trickle that over the top.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04'A flavour that complements the tomato sorbet perfectly.
0:28:07 > 0:28:13'And I'm garnishing the plate with some oven-dried tomatoes dusted with sugar
0:28:13 > 0:28:16'and more of those fragrant basil leaves.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19'And there you have it.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23'Another exciting dimension to the British tomato.'
0:28:23 > 0:28:27This has been nothing but an education for me.
0:28:27 > 0:28:32Really quite incredible. Finding myself eating a dessert with tomato,
0:28:32 > 0:28:36it's opened up my eyes to the great British tomato.
0:28:36 > 0:28:41I'm convinced by it. I hope you'll agree it needs to be revived.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43Let's stick by it.
0:28:46 > 0:28:51Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd 2011