GAZPACHO WITH BULL’S HEART TOMATOES

INGREDIENTS

Cuore del Vesuvio Tomato — Raffaele, Campania, Italy
Ridge Cucumbers — Fondi, Laxio
Extra Virgin Olive Oil — Tom & Juli, Kyparissia, Greece
Red Wine Vinegar — Murcia, Spain
Red Peppers — Bartolomeo, Tuccio & Antonio, Italy
Margherita Onions — Gianni, Campania, Italy
Natural Fine Sea Salt — Atlit, Israel

Working with fresh seasonal ingredients is complex. Weather conditions or other factors beyond our control mean that occasionally, we may have to top up our usual direct suppliers with market alternatives.

Generations of seed saving and an innate ability to stress plants just enough result in tomatoes with phenomenal flavour and the highest flesh-to-seed ratio we’ve ever encountered.

Raffaele is an incredible grower. His family has been saving seeds for generations, honing in on plants with dense, rich and meaty flesh. A vertical cut will reveal compact seed clusters surrounded by low gelatinous matter. These clusters do not go through from top to bottom but rather stop around two-thirds down, meaning the bottom third of the tomato is pure flesh.

The key to exceptional flavour lies in stressing the plants just enough to produce a high concentration of sugars and nutrients. Torre del Greco’s mineral-rich soil, the dry, rich sea air, highly saline water and intense heat offer up the ideal growing environment. Plus, next to Sicily, it is one of the areas in Italy with the least amount of rainfall. Rafaelle withholds irrigation to further stress the plant into producing dense, complex fruits.