Damn, now I going to have to tell you about my chips!

I always use what the supermarkets call "salad potatoes" for my chips. The best variety is Nicola, closely followed by Charlotte. Organic are definitely the best, as they are higher in dry matter and keep their texture, but use whatever you have.

First, whack your oven up to almost as hot as it will go. Get a big, shallow oven tray ready with two or three tablespoons of groundnut oil. Do not peel the spuds. Scrub well, then cut them into wedges or whatever chip shapes you like. Par-boil for ten minutes in well-salted water. Drain in a sieve and allow to dry out for a few minutes. Throw them back into the pan, put the lid on and shake them all about until they go all rough and frayed round the edges. Tip them on to the tray with the groundnut oil and toss the spuds around to coat them. Put the tray in the hot oven. Your chips will take about twenty minutes. It's a good idea to loosen them from the tray after about five minutes, otherwise ignore them.

For the tomatoes, just use whole cherry toms. Put them in a shallow oven tray with some olive oil, seasoning and some fresh basil leaves. Garlic if you like. Stick them in the oven with your chips. They take only about five minutes.