by Sandra Piddock

Created on: February 28, 2009   Last Updated: March 02, 2009

I've said it before, and I'll probably say it many more times - Spanish cookery relies on good quality ingredients, simply cooked. As you become more familiar with the techniques and recipes in Spanish cuisine, you'll notice that a few core ingredients crop up again and again.

One ingredient that will feature in many of your savoury recipes is tomato, so let's take a closer look at what's available to you in Spain.

The tomatoes in Spain come in all shapes and sizes, and you'll see rows and rows of them in your local market. There are beef tomatoes, vine tomatoes, plum tomatoes and cherry plum tomatoes, which are delicious either halved in salads or threaded on cocktail sticks with olives and chunks of yellow pepper as an instant tapa.

When you get your tomatoes home, don't store them in the fridge, as this can impair the lovely intense flavour you get with tomatoes grown in the Mediterranean region. I store my tomatoes on my courtyard windowsill. It's warm, but away from direct sunlight.

The Spanish have a unique way of preparing tomatoes which brings out their flavour and ensures you don't spend ages fishing tomato skins out of your culinary masterpiece.

Grate rather than chop your tomatoes before adding to soups, stews and other recipes. It's quicker, easier and safer than chopping, and helps to thicken sauces and soups without the need for cornflour or other thickening agents.

For a quick, easy, typically Spanish breakfast, toast a baguette, drizzle over olive oil, spread with grated tomato and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Delicious!

Don't bother to look for tubes of tomato puree in Spain you won't find it. Buy tomato frito in tins or jars, and store in the fridge for up to a week after opening. Many recipes call for this, but it also makes a delicious snack spread on toast, topped with fried or poached mushrooms and seasoned with black pepper and ground chilli flakes.

For those days when you want a change from Spanish food, tomato frito makes a great pizza topping, or use it for the basis for a pasta or curry sauce. Add to omelettes for a richer flavour, and spread it thinly on the bread when you make bacon sandwiches. Tomato frito is so versatile, you'll wonder how you ever managed without it.

You can also buy tins of plum tomatoes in Spain, but you'll find the tins are packed with tomatoes, and the juice is very thick, so they're somewhat different to what you are used to using. Personally, I prefer to use fresh tomatoes for my cooking out here. I save the plum tomatoes for when I'm in England and I can't get decent fresh ones!

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