1 small red onion, finely diced 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp dried chilli flakes Salt and freshly ground black pepper 500g ripe tomatoes 1/2 a telegraph cucumber or use 2 small lebanese cucumbers 1 green capsicum 1 stick of celery 1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped 1 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped 1/2 Tbs freshoregano or use 1 tsp dried 3 Tbs olive oil 2 Tbs red wine vinegar 2 Tbs white port Crusty bread to serve
1 Combine the onion, garlic, sugar and chilli in a bowl, then sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt, just cover with cold water and leave for at least an hour.
2 Score the tomatoes, then cover with boiling water. Leave for 30 minutes then remove from the water and peel the skin off with a small sharp knife and discard. Dice the tomatoes.
3 Dice the cucumbers, capsicum and celery. Combine with the tomatoes in a large bowl. Add 2 tsp salt, a generous grind of black pepper and 2 cups of water.