1. Place all the dressing ingredients except the chopped fennel into a bowl and whisk to combine. Add the fennel, mixing it in well with the dressing to prevent it from discolouring, and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas 7 or the grill to hot.

3. Next prepare the bruschetta. Cut the ciabatta into 12 slices on the diagonal. Mix the olive oil and garlic together in a small bowl. Brush both sides of the bread with the oil and garlic mixture and place on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes, then turn the bread over and toast the other side for a further 4–5 minutes. Alternatively, toast under the grill.

4. Mix the diced tomatoes and thyme together in a bowl and season with salt and pepper (see tip). Spoon the mixture on top of the toasted pieces of bread. Arrange three slices of goat’s cheese on top of each piece of bread and place on a baking sheet.

5. Bake the bruschetta for about 8 minutes in the hot oven, or brown under the grill, until crisp and lightly golden on top.

6. Meanwhile, mix the salad ingredients together in a large bowl or wide platter to show off the contrasting colours. Pour over the fennel and garlic dressing and toss together. Serve the salad with two bruschetta per person.

PREPARE AHEAD: Can be assembled up to 4 hours ahead and cooked in the oven or under the grill to serve. Or serve cold.

Assemble the salad up to 6 hours ahead; dress just before serving. The dressing can be made up to 2 days ahead.

MARY’S EVERYDAY TIPS: Gone are the days when all watermelon were the size of your head. You can now buy mini watermelons perfect for this. Use half a small one for this recipe or a quarter of a large one.

If you have time, leave the tomatoes out at room temperature for 30 minutes once they are mixed with the thyme and seasoning – this will really enhance their flavour.