• Preheat oven to 200℃ to toast the sourdough cubes (this step can also be done on the braai/ barbecue if desired, but I prefer the crunchiness obtained in the oven).

Extract tomato juices

• Slice tomatoes into halves (or bite sized pieces if using larger tomatoes). Place into a colander set over a bowl large enough to catch juices. Toss through salt and pepper. Set aside to rest for 30 minutes (or whilst preparing the rest of the salad). Toss occasionally in between to release more juices from the tomatoes.
  1 punnet (250g) Mixed ripe tomatoes, 1 tsp ground sea salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper

Prepare crispy sourdough cubes

• Slice a garlic clove in half and rub over the sourdough slices. Slice the sourdough into large cubes (about 3cm or 1 inch). (If your bread is a bit too crumbly pop it in the toaster for a light toast first)
  3 cloves garlic, 2-3 thick slices sourdough bread
• Toss the sourdough cubes with a generous glug of olive oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Lay out on a baking tray in a single layer. Crush garlic cloves whole with the back of a knife and place in between sourdough. Grill in oven at 200℃ for 10 minutes or until crisp but still a bit soft in the middle. Set aside to cool. Remove the garlic cloves and mince one for the vinaigrette.
  2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Grill bell peppers and veg

• Grill the bell peppers and baby aubergines whole over a fairly hot fire until charred and softened. (I may be making this sound easier than it is, my husband usually does this part). Remove from the grill and set aside to cool.
  1 yellow bell pepper, 1 red bell pepper, 4-5 baby aubergines
• Once cool, remove white inner membrane and seeds from the peppers and slice into 1cm thick strips. (Optional: remove the skin from the peppers by placing them in a bowl covered in clingfilm straight from the grill. Steam for 10 minutes and the skin should be easy to peel off. If not too charred, I usually skip this step).
• Remove heads from aubergine and slice into quarters lengthways, depending on size.

Prepare vinaigrette

• Add lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, dijon mustard, diced shallot and the minced roasted garlic clove (from above) to the bowl of tomato juice. Whisk to combine.
  1/2 shallot, finely diced, 1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed, 2 tbsp vinegar (red wine or light balsamic), 1 tsp dijon mustard, 1 tsp brown sugar
• Slowly whisk in olive oil a drizzle at a time to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Put the salad together

• Toss sourdough and tomatoes with the vinaigrette in a large bowl. Set aside for the bread to soften. I prefer the bread to hold a little crunch still and find 10-15 minutes does the trick.
• In a medium to large shallow dish, spoon out sourdough and tomatoes. Add olives, capers, grilled bell peppers and aubergines.
  70 g olives, 1-2 tbsp capers
• Top with picked basil leaves and parmesan shavings. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.
  1 cup fresh basil leaves, to serve Parmesan shavings