Serves: 2

Preparation:  30 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Category: Vegan / Vegetables

Plan: Best to prepare same day

Difficulty:  Easy

Course: Main or Side

Cuisine: English

Baked Tomatoes and Aubergines with a Lemon, Herb Crust

Guest Recipe by Nigel Slater as published in the Guardian

We love herby crusts on vegetables and fish and this one is a delicious version where you can scatter this lovely crunchy herby topping on both tomatoes and aubergines - and served with rice or couscous - makes a delicious vegan dish.

We also love Nigel Slater's recipes and it is always nice to find ones to share on.

Ingredients

• 750g large tomatoes
• Several sprigs of fresh thyme
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper.

For the Crust

• Zest of one lemon
• 15 basil leaves, chopped
• Handful fresh parsley
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 40g fresh breadcrumbs
• Salt

To Serve

Couscous or rice with oily sauce stirred through

2 baked aubergines

Method

1. Set the oven at 200C/gas mark 6.
   
   
2. Twist 750g of large tomatoes from their stems and slice each in half.
   
   
3. Place the tomatoes, cut side up, in a roasting tin or baking dish.
   
   
4. Remove the leaves from several sprigs of thyme, enough to fill 2 tbsp. Chop them finely and add to 3 tbsp of olive oil. Season with a generous grinding of salt and pepper. Trickle the seasoned oil over the tomatoes.
   
   
5. Bake for about 45 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and their skins are a little dark and even caramelised where they touch the tin.
   
   
6. While they bake, finely grate the zest from 1 lemon, roughly chop 15 basil leaves, 12 chives and a good handful of parsley leaves.
   
   
7. Warm 3 tbsp of olive oil in a shallow pan, add 40g of fresh, coarsely grated breadcrumbs and the lemon zest and let them cook over a moderate heat until lightly browned and starting to crisp.
   
   
8. Stir in the chopped basil, chives and parsley.
   
   
9. Season with a little salt and set aside until the tomatoes are ready.
   
   
10. Scatter the toasted crumbs over the tomatoes, sprinkle with a little more oil then return to the oven for about 10 minutes. 
    
    
11. Serve with steamed rice or couscous to go with this, spooning the herby-olive-oily juices over the grains.
    
    
12. The crumb crust is a good way to finish baked aubergines, too.
    
    
13. Halve the fruit, moisten generously with olive oil and a little garlic purée and thyme, then bake until the aubergines are soft and luscious, and then top with the herb-seasoned crumbs.