This is less of a recipe and more of a way of eating. A simple mix of olives, capers, sun dried tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic and shallot is tossed together with lemon, olive oil and a little balsamic, then ripe, juicy tomatoes and plenty of Parmesan are added to the plate.
It reminds me of the simple lunches my grandparents used to eat. I remember my grandfather sitting down with nothing more than some good bread and tomatoes, olives and capers that had been marinating in olive oil and garlic in the fridge, and a piece of cheese. There was no real recipe to it, just a few good ingredients put together and eaten with bread.
This is really my version of that. Everything is thrown together on one plate so it’s easy to scoop up with toasted bread, but the idea is much the same: ripe tomatoes, salty olives and capers, good olive oil, cheese, herbs and plenty of lemon. The sun dried tomatoes add a little extra salty sweetness and depth, while the garlic and shallot give everything a bit more bite.
There’s no need to measure everything here. Add the ingredients by eye, tasting as you go and adjusting the lemon, olive oil and salty ingredients to suit the tomatoes. Serve with plenty of toasted bread alongside so you can scoop up the tomatoes, juices and all the little bits of olive, caper and Parmesan together. It’s very simple, very Mediterranean, and exactly the kind of food I love eating when tomatoes are at their best.
