We're off to Brighton this morning for a little weekend away to celebrate my birthday tomorrow. I'm really excited to get back to this buzzing haven, wander through the lanes, eat tasty food, and just maybe, if the sun decides to shine, spend some time lazing on the beach. Following a recommendation from a friend, we've booked a table at Due South for dinner tomorrow, and we're really looking forward to sampling the oysters and fresh seafood.

At home, we've been overdosing on tomatoes recently, they just don't get any better than at this time of the season do they? So delicious and the perfect time to try this rich roast tomato soup. It's a recipe from Jamie's 30 Minute Meals, which we usually serve as per the recipe with a dollop of creme fraiche and ciabatta croutons, but had smoky bacon to use up which worked just perfectly crumbled on top.

It's a great way to use up a glut of tomatoes from your veggie patch - but as our plants are yet to bear fruit, we made do with a huge vat reduced to clear at the supermarket. The soup is rich and filling, and impressive enough to serve at a dinner party.

Roast tomato soup with crispy bacon

Adapted from Jamie Oliver 30 Minute Meals. Serves 4.

What you'll need:

• 1kg (2lb 4oz) ripe cherry tomatoes on the vine, red and yellow
• 4 large tomatoes
• 1 fresh red chilli
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 2 small red onions
• 4tbsp balsamic vinegar
• A small bunch of fresh basil
• 8 rashers of smoked streaky bacon

I love the idea of developing recipes that will become family favourites for years to come. A stellar brownie recipe has surely got to be part of this arsenal, and you really can't go far wrong with Jamie's Fifteen chocolate brownies. Simple, incredibly chocolately and the canvas for personal tweaks with nuts or dried fruit - delicious.

Last time I made them my friend was a huge fan, so I planned to make them again when she came over last weekend. This time around I wanted to try cutting the sugar (300g) and butter (250g) content as it just seemed so incredibly excessive. To fuel my obsession with Lindt sea salt dark chocolate I also wanted to experiment with the addition of sea salt.

The fact that they disappeared in less than three days, I think shows that both plans were a good call. Although slightly drier than Jamie's gooey version (but definitely not too dry!), I found that reducing the butter and sugar made for a much lighter, less greasy brownie that didn't feel quite so artery-clogging.

After finally deciding to see what all the fuss was about, I purchased some Maldon sea salt last week - and now really believe it is what elevated the brownies to definite family favourite status.  It adds a fresh delicate savoury note to the mix, and the flakes have a pleasing crunch which is perfect sprinkled over the cooked brownies. I really hope you'll give them a go.

Sea salt chocolate brownies 

Adapted from Jamie Oliver

What you'll need:

- 180g butter

- 200g best quality dark chocolate, broken up

- 80g cocoa powder, sifted

- 65g plain flour, sifted

- 1 tsp baking powder

- 200g caster sugar

- 4 large free-range eggs

- 3 x generous pinches Maldon sea salt

- Optional extras - chopped nuts such as walnuts, pecans or macadamia; dried fruit such as cranberries or sour cherries

What you'll need to do:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C. Line a 30cm rectangular baking tin with greaseproof paper. In a large bowl over simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate, and mix until smooth. Add the fruit and nuts if using, and set aside to cool slightly.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, sugar and two generous pinches of salt, then add this to the chocolate mixture and stir together well. Beat the eggs and add to the mixture.

3. Pour mixture into the prepared baking tray and place in the oven for around 25 minutes. The key is to not overcook them - you want them to be firm on the outside and moist in the middle. Allow to cool, then slice into chunky squares and sprinkle with pinch of salt flakes.