The perfect way to make the use of the late summer, early autumn bounty of ripe tomatoes.

A time when the days are still warm and the nights long, when BBQs are firing up and there are chops and steaks on the grill. Use the best basic ingredients to make this superb summer pie to serve with food fresh from the grill washed down with an aromatic red wine. We love using tomatoes and herbs from Mt Franklin Organics and sourdough from Irrewarra Bakery.

Tomato and Basil Summer Pie

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• ½ Irrewarra Sourdough loaf
• 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 15 ml red wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• Small handful basil, coarsely chopped
• 750 g very ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 12 cherry tomatoes, halved, for decoration
• 100g grated parmesan cheese

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC / 160ºC Fan. Rip the bread into pieces the size of an orange segment. Place them in a large bowl with the oil, vinegar, garlic, basil, chopped ripe tomatoes and half the parmesan.
2. Season with salt and pepper. Massage gently to work the juice into the bread but not breaking it apart too much.
3. Lay out in a baking tray and arrange the halved cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle over the rest of the parmesan cheese and a little more extra virgin olive oil.
4. Place in the middle of the oven and bake for 45 minutes or until the top layer of bread looks slightly golden.

Recipe by: Richard Cornish, for Blake Family Grocers.