Dai mint and tomato salad

<i>Serves 4 as an appetiser or use as part of a selection of starters</i>

The Dai people of southern Yunnan, where China borders Laos and Vietnam, prefer their tomatoes on the green side. If the sun doesn't turn your tomatoes red they will be perfect for this recipe. Otherwise specialist greengrocers now sell special green tomatoes from Italy for salads and cooking. I like to use a mixture of green and red tomatoes. The mint leaves, combined with the slightly acidic green tomato cool the hint of chilli down nicely.

The Dai people of southern Yunnan, where China borders Laos and Vietnam, prefer their tomatoes on the green side. If the sun doesn't turn your tomatoes red they will be perfect for this recipe. Otherwise specialist greengrocers now sell special green tomatoes from Italy for salads and cooking. I like to use a mixture of green and red tomatoes. The mint leaves, combined with the slightly acidic green tomato cool the hint of chilli down nicely.

1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
1tsp sea salt
1 small mild chilli, finely chopped
Half cup of young mint leaves
Half cup of Thai sweet basil leaves
3 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
5-6 green and red tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 tbsp chilli oil

Put the garlic, salt, chilli, mint, Thai basil and spring onions into a food processor and coarsely blend. Add the tomatoes and chilli oil and blend again until they are finely chopped, like a salsa.

Serve piled up in a salad bowl, and offer this as part of a selection of starters and dips, or with simply grilled fish or meat main courses.