Katia Wengraf is one of the best people I know. She runs Review Books in Peckham and her company has greatly improved my life over the past two years. She has the gift of a mystic when it comes to choosing books and reading people, is very kind, startlingly insightful and is generally brilliant company. I am glad to say that where I currently live is on her route home from the bookshop and sometimes she’ll turn up for a chat or a drink that becomes dinner. I take great delight in these unplanned occasions.
This dish comes with the warning that I made it using very ripe tomatoes from the garden, whose flavour enhanced its effect. Tomatoes as ripe as you can have will be good for this. NB I never refrigerate tomatoes because I think it dampens their flavour.
Served 3
3 eggs, hard-boiled then halved
200g of green beans, boiled in salted water until tender (around 6 minutes)
5 medium sized ripe tomatoes cut into rough, large chunks (remove any tough core)
a tin of chickpeas, well drained and rinsed
1 red onion, finely sliced
a generous handful of fresh basil leaves, torn up roughly
a small-ish tin of good quality tuna steaks in oil
5 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
How to make:
Prepare the ingredients as above. Mix gently together with generous seasoning of salt and pepper, except the eggs. Garnish with the eggs.
Dinner Document 