Whenever plum tomatoes are cheap or if you are lucky enough to have a greenhouse and a glut of tomatoes to deal with, dry some in the oven and make the rest into a roast tomato sauce.

To dry tomatoes, cut them in half, scoop out the pulp and seeds, and sit the halves, cut side up, in baking trays. Sprinkle with a little salt and caster sugar, then drizzle with olive oil and roast in an oven preheated to 150°C/300°F/gas 2 until most of the moisture has evaporated from them. Depending on how many you are drying at a time, this can take anything from an hour upwards. All domestic ovens have hot spots, so reposition the tomatoes to avoid burning any of them.

Remove and, when cool, pack tightly in jars, covered with olive oil. They are fabulous in salads, as a relish with cold meats or cheese or on pizzas or open tarts.