For the majority for this summer, you’ll have found me sat in front of a fan, or an air conditioning unit if I’m lucky enough to find one. People say English summer is like no other, by which they are referring to the elevated humidity accompanied by buildings not built for these extreme heatwaves, and there is effectively no escape, apart from perhaps the frozen aisle of Tesco.

Since I live in a top floor, west facing flat I get the full force of the afternoon sun flooding in through the balcony windows. Even with the blinds closed from 1pm onwards, it is still remarkably hot; it’s a nightmare. Then before you know it it’s seven, eight o’clock, and it’s still too hot to make dinner.

During the first heatwave, back in May, I decimated my savings to afford constant takeaways, as all my comfort meals relied on attentive use of the hob – this led to uninspired meals which were extremely unpleasant to make, or ordering in again.

And I was feeling utterly uninspired. That was until early July when I’ve visited the Lot in Southern France. It’s scorching 39℃ days encouraged me to wake up early, (a routine I could do with implementing in my day-to-day life), while also making me cook and eat within my means. I experienced both dry and humid heat depending on the day, and while your clothing should be tailored for those differences, heat is heat when it comes to cooking; I couldn’t exist in the temperatures generated by the hob, so I needed to adapt.

Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, overlooking the Lot

The Lot is a river in Occitanie, a large region of Southern France. However, when discussing the cuisine of the Lot Valley, one would be more likely to describe it as Quercynoise, meaning “of Quercy”, a former province of France consisting of the modern departments of Lot and part of Tarn-et-Garonne. However, Quercy is not known for its light, summery foods, rather for its hearty dishes and rich flavours, such as duck confit, black truffle, tannic, dark, red wines from Cahors, and foie gras – the latter of which I of course wouldn’t entertain eating at any time of year. While these are typical of the local cuisine, the one thing I associate most with drawn out summer meals in the hazy sunshine is the tomato. In the Lot Valley, you’ll pass market stalls upon market stalls all brimming with tomatoes, the size and shape of ox hearts, with hues spanning springtime greens to deep maroons, cardinal reds to primrose yellows.

Although not native to the region, the speciality of the south seems to be the cœur de bœuf, a type of heritage tomato. Its large, fleshy interior lends itself well to salads, sandwiches, but is also delicious eaten alone. I find its sweetness is a great way to cut through strong cheeses, whether a pungent roquefort or a mature cheddar; it allows other ingredients to shine and doesn’t overwhelm the palette with excessively rich flavours.

There’s a reason the Italians named the tomato ‘pomodoro’, meaning golden apple. It is so easily turned into liquid gold, whether as a warming tomato sauce or a crisp, refreshing gazpacho. And if, like me, you’ve been struggling with enjoying cooking in this heatwave, then look no further than the humble tomato and the countless ways of incorporating it into your meals.

Tom’s Tomato Dish Index

It was difficult to narrow this list down to just a few recipes, and admittedly some staples like tomato soup and my many beloved pasta sauce variations did not make the cut – I’d think about those dishes when autumn rolls around, but I can assure you that I’ve included plenty of other classics in the meantime!

I’ve been looking to countries where the temperature often sits at the extreme heights we’re seeing in the UK at the moment; after all, they’ve had centuries to figure out what’s best in these conditions. Mediterranean countries are important to look at, or ‘the olive oil belt’, as it’s often called. Recipes with minimal frying and meals you can heat up or reuse for days on end are definitely beneficial.

Panzanella

For the Italian speakers among you, you’ll notice this contains bread, or ‘pane’. For me, this is a university necessity as the recipe calls for stale bread – I’ve certainly never made it through a whole loaf, at least not yet in my uni career. I don’t despair when a loaf eventually goes stale, I make panzanella, or bread and butter pudding if I’m feeling nostalgic.

This salad is remarkably simple, but also customisable, as historically it was purely an onion dish. However, with tomatoes panzanella really pops, this newfound sweetness offsetting the harshness of the raw onion and pairing beautifully with the umami of the balsamic vinegar. I’m not particularly adventurous, so I tend only to include cucumber and fresh basil as extras, and although I’d not recommend adding shellfish, the world is your oyster.

• Stale, crusty bread (ciabatta, baguette, etc.)

• Tomatoes (halved, quartered, or diced more finely depending on preference)

• Red onions

• Cucumber

• Olive oil

• Balsamic vinegar (red wine vinegar also works great)

• Fresh basil

• Anchovies (optional)

• Garlic (optional)

The are a plethora of recipes online, however I would caution you if consulting the top result on BBC Good Food– I disagree with the use of shallots.

Gazpacho

I mentioned it earlier, but gazpacho is my go-to lunch for the summer. It’s cooling, fresh and reusable, add an ice cube and it’s more refreshing than water (disclaimer: I don’t recommend replacing your water consumption with gazpacho).

Some variety of food processor (blenders and the like) is generally called for in gazpacho recipes, so make sure you’ve got one handy.

• Tomatoes

• Cucumber

• Peppers

• Onion or shallots

• Garlic

• Stale bread, soaked in a little water

• Olive oil

• Vinegar (balsamic, red wine, etc…)

• Salt and pepper to taste

I’d recommend making this in a large batch, leaving it in the fridge or freezing it; it will last! The quantities vary somewhat between recipes, but don’t be afraid to adjust these to your needs as long as everything remains proportionate.

Deli-style Sandwich

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I’ve been spending the summer making New York Deli-style sandwiches in my kitchen whilst doing a flawless impression of James Gandolfini in The Sopranos, much to my partner’s annoyance. She complains that I haven’t even watched the Sopranos, and whilst this is true, I still think I’m nailing it.

Although The Sopranos has illuded me thus far, my Instagram is full of reels from “Giovanni’s Italian Deli”, a New York deli wherein the eponymous owner makes ridiculously large sandwiches, adorned with “fresh mozzarella” (pronounced “mootzarell” in his thick New York-Italian accent), “gabagool”, and the famous “balsamic glaze”. These sandwiches are remarkably easy to make and are perfect if you’re on-the-go this summer.

Here is my personal favourite – just know I’m writing this in Giovanni’s accent:

• Focaccia or ciabatta

• Fresh mozzarella

• Mortadella

• Sliced tomatoes

• Olive oil

• Balsamic vinegar

This recipe includes absolutely no cooking, although you could add some roasted peppers. The tomatoes are understated in this dish, but they’re perfect for balancing out the saltiness of the mortadella.

Caprese Salad

This might be the easiest recipe in this article; it demands a little chopping, but the rest is merely presentation. It’s fit for a garden party, dinner party, or, if you’ve found yourself invited to no party, you can certainly stay home and cry into your salad (lay off on the salt if you plan for the latter).

• Tomatoes

• Fresh mozzarella

• Fresh basil

• Olive oil

• Balsamic vinegar

• Avocado (non-traditional, but adds texture)

Ratatouille

I worry I’ve lulled you into a false sense of security with these previous recipes, so that you’ll now be asking why I’ve included one of the most time-consuming dishes you can possibly make. It’s true that ratatouille is not a quick recipe, but I still often choose to make it in the summer. For those boiling days where all you can cope with is hiding indoors, curtains drawn and fans set to max, you might find yourself at a loose end – if so, I’d recommend ratatouille.

Ratatouille is possibly my favourite dish of all time, so I had to include it in Tom’s Tomato Dish Index. It’s both a hearty side dish, great for accompanying a roast, but if it’s the main event then there’s nothing easier than heating up a bowl and enjoying it in the fresh air.

• Red onions

• Garlic

• Aubergines

• Courgettes

• Tomatoes

• Peppers

• Tinned plum tomatoes

• Fresh basil

• Thyme

• Olive oil

• Vinegar

Some recipes call for more use of the hob than others, so I’d opt for the ones that are more oven-based. I’d also avoid recipes which try to get you to peel tomatoes and peppers, that is a total farce and will make you miserable – I’ve learnt this from experience.

These recipes demonstrate the great versatility of the humble tomato. They can come to the forefront of a dish, as in the caprese salad or gazpacho, as well as taking a comfortable backseat and complementing the stronger, heavier flavours, like those of the deli sandwich. That’s the joy of the tomato, it’s not just for pasta sauce, it’s also fresh, cooling, and vibrant – a real summer basic that has endless potential.

Image credit: Thomas Byrne