Chilled tomato gazpacho with heirloom tomato and basil oil

Serves: 3-4

Gazpacho ingredients:

• 4-6 vine ripened large fresh tomatoes
• 1 garlic clove, chopped finely
• 1/2 Spanish onion, roughly chopped
• 1 red pepper, de-seeded and roughly chopped
• Half cucumber
• 1/4tsp ground cumin
• 3tbsp red wine vinegar
• Half tbsp salt
• 100ml extra virgin olive oil (the better quality oil, the better the finished product

Basil oil ingredients:

• 150g basil leaves
• 200ml olive oil

Garnish:

• 5 different ripe heirloom tomatoes, cut into quarters or halves depending on size
• Pinch of sea salt

Method:

1. To make the gazpacho, place all of the gazpacho ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. Either strain through a sieve for added smoothness, or leave a little more chunky.
2. Pour the mixture into a container and chill in the fridge overnight; this allow the flavours to develop. You can use it straight away if required.
3. For the basil oil, simply place the picked basil leaves and oil into a food processor and blend until the oil starts to take on the green of the basil.
4. Strain through a piece of muslin cloth or a fine sieve if cooking at home.
5. To plate up, simply place your chilled gazpacho into a soup bowl. Sprinkle your chopped heirloom tomatoes with sea salt, then scatter on top of the gazpacho. Finally, finish with a drizzle of the basil oil and some chopped fresh basil or basil cress.