Instructions: Chop onions and garlic, if using, and place with lentils and liquid in a saucepan, and boil until lentils are cooked. This takes about 20 minutes in an ordinary saucepan, and about 8 minutes in a pressure cooker.

While this is happening, make the bread into crumbs and grate or finely chop the cheese. Mix together and set aside. Pour boiling water on to the tomatoes and leave for a minute or two until the skins are loosened and will slip off easily. Peel the tomatoes, and slice them thinly.

Place in the bottom of an oven-proof dish and sprinkle with the basil.

When the lentils are cooked, add the lemon juice, yeast extract (if using) and salt and pepper to taste. Either puree them in a food processor or beat very well until smooth. Pour the resulting batter over the tomatoes, and top with the grated bread and cheese. Bake for about 40 minutes at gas mark 4, 200 C, 375 F. Serve with a green salad.

Variations: Instead of the tomatoes, use rinsed and sliced field mushrooms,
or Elliott suggests marrow (summer squash) - I think that would make the result too liquid, though. Mushrooms and tomatoes mixed are nice, too.

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