TOMATO, FENNEL & AVOCADO SALAD

I like a proper tomato salad: if you give me two or three pieces of tomato in a salad, I probably won’t eat them. This salad is very colourful, with plenty of flavour. The tomatoes should be soft and ripe; like any fruit, you shouldn’t keep them in the fridge. The dressing quantity is very generous, as you want to be able to mop it all up with the tomato and avocado. It’s not the same as dressing a leaf salad – when things are crunchy they need olive oil.

FOR 4–6

60ml extra virgin olive oil

30ml sherry vinegar

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1kg mixed heritage tomatoes

2 fennel bulbs, with fronds

2 ripe avocados

18 fresh basil leaves

Put the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper into a jar with a lid and shake together.

Slice the tomatoes into 1cm thick wedges.

Trim the top of the fennel (keep any fronds but discard the tops of the stalks). Cut in half, lengthways, on a slant. Then slice into 3mm half-moons, as though you are cutting an onion. Cut the avocados in half and slice into thin half-moons, like the fennel.

Place two layers of tomatoes on your plate, then add the fennel and avocado. Pour the dressing over your salad and finish with the basil leaves, fennel fronds and some salt and pepper.