OIL JAR RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. To make the basil oil, pick the basil leaves and finely chop the stalks. Put a few leaves in a bowl of cold water for later, then place the rest in a pestle and mortar. Add a pinch of sea salt and bash the basil leaves until they have broken down into a dark green paste. Transfer the paste to a jug and add your extra virgin olive oil. Mix together well.
  2. To make the soup, add a lug of olive oil to your biggest pan over a medium heat. Peel and slice the garlic and add to the pan with the basil stalks. Fry for about a minute then add all the tomatoes. Stir in 150ml of water and bring to the boil. Reduce to a medium heat and let the tomatoes cook for 5 minutes until they are slightly broken down. If your tomatoes are nice and ripe they’ll be naturally sweet and soft, which means you won’t need to cook the soup for too long.
  3. Remove the soup from the heat, add a splash of red wine vinegar then carefully blitz with a hand blender until you get a consistency that’s to your liking.
  4. Serve in warm bowls with a spoonful of bright green basil oil swirled on top and sprinkled with the reserved basil leaves. You can even eat any leftovers cold from the fridge for a really fresh, light soup.

Steps:

• 1. Cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions.
  2. Meanwhile, place a large non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the capers, fry until super-crispy, then scoop out and put aside, leaving the fragrant oil behind.
  3. Halve and add the tomatoes, then sprinkle in most of the oregano.
  4. Drain and flake in the tuna, add 2 ladlefuls of pasta cooking water, and simmer until the pasta is done.
  5. Drain the pasta, reserving a mugful of cooking water, then toss the pasta into the tuna pan, loosening with a splash of reserved cooking water, if needed.
  6. Taste, season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper, then dish up. Sprinkle over the crispy capers and the remaining oregano from a height, drizzle with 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil, and tuck in.