How to make upside down tomato cornbread

Julia Platt Leonard on the winning combination of corn, tomatoes and chives

Bite into a tomato today and you’re reminded what you miss the rest of the year – tomatoes that actually taste like tomatoes.

If you’ve grown your own, you may be harvesting the end of season mother lode.

Turn them into tomato sauce or slow cook them until they’re semi-dried, then store in oil, for a grey autumnal or winter day.

If you don’t have your own plants, then head for a farm stand or a proper green grocer.

Choose wonky ones – the more misshapen the better. Hold them gently and give them a sniff – you should smell the distinctive aroma of tomato leaf.

They should be ripe and juicy with none of the bland taste or mealy texture you find in a tomato eaten out of season.

Tomatoes are versatile but love other summer harvest vegetables like courgettes and corn and have a natural affinity for herbs like basil, tarragon and chives.

This upside down cornbread brings together corn, tomatoes and chives for a winning combination.

Flipping it over is the only hold-your-breath moment, but even if bits remain on the bottom of the pan, simply pick them out and place them back on the loaf.

Upside down tomato cornbread

150g unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp caster sugar
2 tomatoes, about 400g in total
2 eggs, beaten
125g Greek yoghurt
400ml milk
200g polenta
120g plain flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp baking powder
75g sweetcorn kernels
50g grated pecorino cheese or parmesan
10g chives, chopped – about 3 tbsp
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees. Use a 30cm cast-iron frying pan or other ovenproof pan.

Slice the tomatoes, season generously with salt and pepper, and set aside. Reserve three tablespoons of melted butter. Mix the remaining butter, eggs, yoghurt and milk together in a mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, sift the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together. Stir in the polenta. Add the liquid mixture to the dry and stir to combine. Add the sweetcorn, cheese and chives and stir again.

Pour the remaining three tablespoons of butter into the frying pan. Brush the sides of the pan with a bit of the butter, add the sugar and cook over medium heat until the sugar is melted. Add the tomatoes, seasoned side down so they cover the bottom of the pan and cook over medium heat for a minute or two.

Take off the stove, then pour the batter evenly over the tomatoes and place the pan in the preheated oven. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the cornbread is nicely browned on top and a skewer inserted in the centre of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. The cornbread should have pulled away from the sides but if not, run a palette knife around the edge to ensure it doesn’t stick.

Place a plate or large chopping board over the pan. Using oven gloves to hold the pan in place, carefully flip over so the tomatoes are on top. If any tomatoes stick to the bottom of the pan, simply scoop them up and place back on the loaf. Slice and serve warm.

@juliapleonard