The idea of a tapa with your summer evening aperitif came up on the lager thread, and I mentioned my salmorejo recipe. It's a chilled tomatoey "soup," though much thicker than regular soup, it's easy to make, and it's served in small bowls with a teaspoon and some little breadsticks. It keeps for days in the fridge, and actually improves with the keeping.

Just four points: you must use extra virgin olive oil, you must use good sherry vinegar, the quality of the tomatoes is paramount, and you do NOT skin the tomatoes. Ignore online recipes that add stuff such as green peppers, onion and anything else that I don't mention. Online chefs that simply have to be different get on my nerves!

The ingredients for four very generous servings are:

A pound and a half of the best vine-ripened large tomatoes you can get
A large garlic clove, peeled
Half a teaspoon of sugar
A pinch of salt
The yolks from two hard-boiled eggs
120 ml extra virgin olive oil (nothing else will do)
A generous dash of sherry vinegar (no substitutes allowed)
Stale white bread from a smallish baguette, crusts removed (though I use a submarine roll complete with soft crust)

Except for the bread, I just blend everything with my stick blender. I don't peel the tomatoes but I do cut them up and cut out the little core at the top.

The whole lot goes into a bowl with the torn-up bread and left to soak for a few minutes. Then it all gets blended again until fairly smooth. Voila! So simple.

If it doesn't seem thick enough, you can add a bit more bread and whizz again. It should be thick enough that when you pick up a teaspoon of it it stays a little bit rounded on the spoon, but this is not important.

The traditional way to serve this is in little bowls with some breadstick pieces on the side. On top, you sprinkle a mix of chopped-up hard-boiled egg and some small bits of Serrano ham. I always cheat and replace the ham with a pinch of crispy streaky bacon and no-one ever complains.

Have this with your Aperol spritz and you'll live forever!