Delaney Mes recipes: Sunday brunching at home

Roast tomato on toast. Photo / Nick Reed

Having a long brunch at home is one of the best things about Sundays. Put on a pot of coffee, play whatever music you want, and have a lazy feast. Brunch is also one of my favourite ways to feed a crowd without too much stress. Having a few bits and pieces on the go and keeping them warm in the oven is an easy way to manage timing. I'll often fry some mushrooms and keep them warm, alongside grilling bacon in the oven. Halloumi is pretty quick to fry on the stove top, and scrambled eggs are an easy way to do all the eggs at once. And usually I ask someone to do toast duty.

These tomatoes are great as you can put them in the oven and pretty much forget about them. I sometimes do tomatoes on toast by cooking them gently in a frying pan, but again, putting them in the oven is a good way to manage timing when feeding a crowd. They'd also make a good base for dinner if you wanted to add a bit of chilli, and serve with parmesan or feta and pasta or crusty bread. Even though tomatoes are in their prime in summer, you can still get some good varieties year-round that ripen up nicely at home.

Corn fritters are one of my all-time favourite brunch dishes, although I have very fond memories of my mum's perfect corn fritters being a quick dinner when I was a child. These ones I've added a few things, and they're always good with a dollop of something on the side and crispy bacon if you're feeling game.

Corn fritters

Corn fritters. Photo / Nick Reed

Makes about 8-10 fritters

1 x 330g can creamed corn
½ small red onion, finely chopped
Small bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
Small bunch fresh mint, finely chopped
2 Tbsp crumbled feta
4 heaped Tbsp flour
1 scant tsp baking powder
Pinch sea salt and cracked black pepper
2 eggs

Place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together with a fork.

Heat a knob of butter in a frying pan on medium-high heat, and once the butter is bubbly, reduce heat slightly and place dollops of mixture into the pan, being careful not to overcrowd it. Fry the fritters in batches until golden and crisp on each side, and serve with relish, sour cream, and a few additional chopped herbs. You could also serve with bacon and a small side of salad greens, such as baby spinach.

Roast tomatoes on toast

Serves 4 as a main or more as a side

4-5 large tomatoes, cut into large chunks
Generous drizzle olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Small bunch basil leaves, roughly torn
4-5 garlic cloves, skin on
Sea salt and cracked black pepper

In a roasting tray, lay out the tomatoes, and drizzle with the olive oil and the balsamic. Scatter over the basil, add the garlic to the tray and season well.

Roast at 180C for at least 30 minutes, until the tomatoes are well cooked.

Remove from oven, and carefully squeeze the garlic out of its skin. Stir gently and serve on toast.

You could serve with bacon, eggs, or halloumi, but I love tomatoes on toast as is.