You say winter, I say tomato

With Irish tomatoes around for just another couple of weeks, says Rachel Allen, it’s time to whip them into delicious dishes to freeze, which will brighten up your day come winter

For the last few months, I’ve been making the most of gorgeously red, ripe Irish tomatoes while they’re in season. On the farm at the cookery school at Ballymaloe, we’ve been growing over 20 different varieties of tomatoes — from the small blood-red Indigo Blue, to the amusingly stripy Black Zebra. They will only be around for another few weeks, so now is the time to whip up some chutneys and preserves for the winter ahead.

It’s also a great opportunity to make some soups and stews for the freezer, for those evenings when you come home from work and need something quick, delicious and comforting — and that hasn’t come out of a packet.

This roasted tomato soup, right, is one of my favourites. Made from just tomatoes and onions, it’s much more than the sum of its parts, and is a treat when it’s served steaming hot in a bowl, with a drizzle of pesto over the top. Freeze it in small batches so you’ll always have a quick meal at your fingertips, whenever you’re in need of a foodie hug.

The tomato fondue, above right — which literally means ‘melted tomatoes’ — is a classic French recipe that’s been made at Ballymaloe for over half a century. It’s great served as a vegetable accompaniment, or with pasta or an omelette; it’s one of the handiest and most versatile recipes there is. Just make sure to cook the onions slowly and really well at the start, and add that small pinch of sugar to help sweeten the tomatoes.

A classic gazpacho, far right, is one of my favourite things to eat when I’m in Spain. It’s a chilled soup, which is made by simply blending lots of tomatoes with peppers, onions, cucumber and some seasoning. It is natural, raw goodness at its best.

Make it now and then serve it as a dinner-party starter, or freeze it for another day. I love to scatter croutons and chopped onions over the top, as the Spanish do — or for a change, try topping it with finely diced avocado and some cooked crab meat. Close your eyes and dream of sunny days.