Top chef Nick Cullen serves up a tasty treat

As always, the summer season brings with it an abundance of beautiful blushing tomatoes, the grocery stalls heaving under the weight of this year’s rosy red crop.

There’s nothing better than the scent of ripe tomatoes when you walk into the market or greengrocers: the smell of sunshine hits you right between the eyes!

The British tomato season is now in full swing so fill up your baskets while they’re at their best.

If you’ve never grown tomatoes yourself then I’d encourage you to try at least once; they are surprisingly easy to manage (even for a rubbish gardener like me) and produce a decent yield that should keep you in stock all summer.

Tomatoes are one of the most important ingredients in the kitchen and a staple component in many countries’ cuisines, especially Mediterranean cookery. There are thousands of varieties to choose from but you can’t go wrong with cherry tomatoes which are small and deliciously sweet and taste great both raw and cooked. Their sweetness also makes them popular with children and what’s more, they are really easy to grow

This is a wonderfully light, healthy and flavoursome summer recipe that makes the most of simple seasonal produce. We’re basically adding the ingredients for pesto to the parcel which will create a really aromatic Italian style dish. Serve with a few new potatoes and some seasonal greens or dressed leaves.

Mediterranean Cod Parcels

(serves 2)

2 fillets of cod or similar white fish such as hake or Pollack, approx. 170g each

2 cloves of garlic

25g parmesan, grated

25g pine nuts

8-10 cherry tomatoes, halved

Handful of fresh basil

Half a lemon, cut in two

Black pepper

Olive Oil

Pre-heat the oven to 200c (180c fan).

Cut two large pieces of tin foil then fold each sheet in half so there is still plenty of room to create a loose parcel around each fillet of fish.

Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan over a high heat for several minutes until lightly golden and allow to cool slightly.

Place the fish in the middle of each sheet of double thickness foil. Add a clove of garlic and slice of lemon to each parcel and divide the parmesan, pine nuts and cherry tomatoes between the two.

Finish with a few basil leaves, a twist of black pepper and a generous drizzle of olive oil.

Gather the foil together around the fish to create a loose parcel but ensure the sides are sealed together tightly so that no steam can escape.

There should be enough room around the fish to allow it to steam and remain moist and absorb the flavours around it. Cook for 20 minutes and serve immediately, in or out of the foil.