Gazpacho with goat’s cheese stuffed cherry tomatoes

I like to use Chabichou du Poitou here. Made from fresh goat’s cheese, this mould-ripened creamy cheese has a delicious sharp flavour, which becomes more pronounced as it matures. You can substitute any soft-ripened goat’s cheese with a comparable flavour, such as a crottin or Valençay. I have often served this gazpacho in this way as a lunch dish at The Waterside Inn, to the delight of our guests.

SERVES 6

400g plump, nicely ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped

2 red peppers, cored, deseeded and finely sliced

1 small onion (75g), finely sliced

1 cucumber, peeled, halved, deseeded and finely sliced

1 garlic clove, finely sliced

½ slice of white sandwich loaf, cut into small dice

1 small basil sprig, plus 6 extra sprigs to garnish

3 drops of Tabasco

75ml virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

For the stuffed tomatoes

18 medium cherry tomatoes

1 Chabichou goat’s cheese, cut into small pieces

1 small onion (75g), finely chopped

1½ tbsp fresh white (day-old) breadcrumbs

10g mixed basil, flat-leaf parsley and chives, finely chopped together

1 egg yolk

2 tbsp virgin olive oil

To make the gazpacho, put all the ingredients, except the olive oil and seasoning, into a bowl and stir to mix. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 6–12 hours.

For the stuffed tomatoes, preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Slice off the top third of each cherry tomato; save these ‘lids’. Using a teaspoon, scoop out the insides of each tomato (the seeds and a little of the flesh) and set aside.

Put the goat’s cheese into a bowl with the onion, breadcrumbs, herbs, egg yolk and half the olive oil, and mix with a fork. Season with pepper to taste.

Generously fill the cherry tomatoes with the mixture, then replace the lids. Place in a shallow ovenproof dish or on a baking tray and brush with the remaining olive oil. Bake for 12–15 minutes until the tomatoes are two-thirds cooked and the stuffing is very hot.

Transfer the chilled gazpacho ingredients to a food processor or blender and blitz for no more than 2 minutes, to avoid the mixture turning pale – you want the gazpacho to be a good red colour.

Add the olive oil, then strain the mixture through a fine chinois or sieve, pressing down with the back of a ladle to extract the liquid. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, divide the chilled gazpacho between 6 chilled shallow bowls, then arrange 3 hot stuffed cherry tomatoes in each. Garnish with basil sprigs and serve at once.