This is a wonderful way to use a glut of tomatoes (of which there’s a surplus in Greece over the summer!). It is delicious as part of a meze or just good on its own with wholemeal village bread.

SERVES 4
Ready in: 2 hours 15 minutes

450g tomatoes on the vine, halved
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 sprigs fresh thyme
40g fresh breadcrumbs
50g pine nuts
1 tbsp freshly chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp freshly snipped chives
50g feta
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season

Preheat the oven to 120˚C/fan 100˚C/gas 2. Arrange the tomatoes cut side up on a roasting tray. Mix the garlic with the 2 tbsp olive oil, brush over the tomatoes then season with a little salt and pepper.

Thread the thyme leaves off their stalks over the tomatoes. Now cook for 1½–2 hours or until very soft, slightly wrinkled.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry the breadcrumbs for 1–2 minutes or until golden then add the pine nuts and continue to cook for a further minute to toast the nuts and crisp the crumbs. Remove from the heat.

Stir through the herbs. Spread two-thirds of the crumb mix over the base of a serving dish or individual plates, top with the tomatoes and sprinkle the remaining crumb mix over the top, then finish with crumbled feta.

TIP
Prepare the tomatoes well ahead and store in a lidded container, then bring to temperature and gently warm through before progressing at stage 3.