I took one look at the picture of this recipe in the cookbook and knew I had to try it. The list of ingredients sounded so tasty – tomatoes, lots of them, leeks, fresh ginger, haricot beans, chilli. And coconut milk. Bear with me, these flavours make it seem exotic but they blend together so it is comforting. Ideal for spring or autumn, served with a salad, or eat in winter with a baked potato or mash. Serves 4-6
Olive oil
1 leek, washed, trimmed and roughly sliced
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
1cm thick piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
4 tbsp coconut milk
1 400g jar or tin of haricot beans, drained and rinsed
500g wine or cherry tomatoes, halved [or another 400g tin of chopped tomatoes]
bunch of fresh basil
4 slices of bread [I used 2 pieces of pitta bread]

Preheat the oven to 200° C/ fan 180° C / Gas 6. Put an ovenproof pan on a medium heat and add a slosh of olive oil. Add the leeks, garlic, chilli and ginger, and some pepper. Turn the heat down and cook for 10 minutes until the leeks are soft and sweet. Next, add the tinned tomatoes, coconut milk and beans. Simmer for a couple of minutes then take off the heat. Check the seasoning, add more salt and black pepper if needed. Scatter over the fresh tomatoes, then the torn-up basil. Then tear your chosen bread into chunks and push them into gaps between the tomatoes. Drizzle generously with more olive oil, bake in the oven for about 30 minutes [mine was ready after 20] when the tomatoes have shrunk and sweetened and the bread is crisp and golden. Allow to sit for a few minutes before serving. 5 to remember
doble – double
el pan de pita – the pitta bread
el leche de coco – the coconut milk
refractario/a – ovenproof
un trozo – a chunk

This recipe is from ‘A Modern Way to Eat’ by Anna Jones [UK: Fourth Estate]