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For those who love tomatoes, the middle and end of summer is just the best time of the year.
The battle cry: carpe tomato! The gorgeous tomatoes start to appear in July, and flood the markets (and our gardens, if we’re lucky) for a couple of months. So let’s be prepared.
Keep your eyes open for those gorgeous heirloom tomatoes. Some available varieties include Cherokee Purple, Brandywine, Green Zebra, Black Krim, Mr. Stripey, Azoychka, Aunt Ruby’s German Green, Cherry Roma, Tomato Gold Medal, and Black Cherry. The names alone are cheerful, and if you just slice up a bunch, drizzle them with olive oil, and give them a sprinkle of salt and freshly ground pepper you will be in heaven. Look for heirloom tomatoes at supermarkets, of course, but better still at farmers’ markets during the summer and early fall seasons.
Any tomato lover knows, fresh tomatoes are really best in season. Out-of-season tomatoes are often pale and flavorless. Hothouse tomatoes are your best bet outside of the summer months. Plum tomatoes, grape tomatoes and cherry tomatoes are also available year round.
This is my (not even close to complete) list of must-make tomato recipes this summer. Oh yes, please also see How to Cook Tomatoes and How to Cook Cherry Tomatoes.
51 Recipes with Tomatoes
What to do with all of those summer tomatoes!
Bruschetta with Herbed Whipped Ricotta and Heirloom Tomatoes
A simple herby ricotta is slathered under slices of ripe tomatoes in a perfect summer appetizer or snack.
Heirloom Tomato Pasta Sauce
Homemade pasta sauce turns a basketful of ripe tomatoes into an easy dinner.
Pancetta Pasta with Tomatoes
This pasta has so much going on flavorwise, but it's really simple to pull together, and downright beautiful. Using a mix of tomatoes in different colors adds even more vibrancy to this dish.
Tomato Bruschetta
This is the first thing I think of when I bring home a bunch of gorgeously ripe late summer tomatoes. Use only perfectly ripe tomatoes.
How to Make Perfect Roasted Tomatoes
Roasting tomatoes is super easy, and really brings out a deep, concentrated, sweet flavor.
Tomatoes with Mint Basil Pesto
Ready in 10 minutes, this cummery pesto is a terrific topping for ripe tomatoes, and can be used in so many different ways!
Pasta Salad with Tomatoes, Feta and Herbed Mayonnaise
A quick summery meal that can be made ahead. Skip the bacon and it’s vegetarian!
Steakhouse Tomato Salad
One of the classic steakhouse sides is a tomato salad of some sort. And the best ones are super simple, and really focus on perfect, ripe tomatoes.
Chopped Salad with Chicken, Tomatoes and Lemon Thyme Dressing
This was one of the best lunches ever, just that perfect chopped salad.
Tomato Panzanella
This resourceful Tuscan salad, originally created to use up stale bread, is composed of juicy tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and basil dressed with a zingy olive oil-based vinaigrette.
Tomato Scallion Rice
A colorful, delicious, year-round and versatile dish dish (and a great way to use not-so-perfect tomatoes!)
Cavatappi with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Pesto
It's hard to make a summer produce pasta that not a stunner; this one is bursting with basil and roasted tomatoes.
Homemade Tomato Soup
Sometimes you just want the classic—bursting with tomato flavor, silky smooth, and not complicated by much else.
Pizza Bruschetta
In this version of tomato bruschetta I took a cue from the best loved combo of cheese, tomatoes, and bread ever: pizza.
Pan con Tomate
Also known as Catalan Tomato Bread, Spanish Tomato Bread, or Pan con Tomate, this toasted bread with tomatoes and garlic is the most perfect simple appetizer, snack or side.
Salsa Ranchera
A wonderfully smoky salsa made from roasted tomatoes, hot peppers, onions and garlic, with a touch of lime and cumin.
Perfect Summer Gazpacho
How to make the best, most refreshing and absolutely beautiful soup of summer. With step-by-step instructions and photos.
Pan Seared Fish with Tomato Basil Relish
Fish plus three basic ingredients plus 20 minutes gets you this for dinner. Think of this during tomato season.
Cherry Tomato Antipasti Salad
Inspired by Italian restaurant antipasti platters, this gorgeous salad relies on easily available cherry tomatoes and a bunch of pantry items.
Shrimp Orzo Salad
This is a light and very colorful pasta salad, perfect for picnics and potlucks, and warm-weather lunches. Great to take to work as well.
Summer Corn, Tomato and Bacon Salad
Starring the two best vegetables of late summer, with bacon as a supporting actor.
Pasta Salad with Chicken, Avocado and Tomato
Summery, colorful, delicious. Perfect for entertaining, packing for an office lunch, picnics, you name it.
Vegetarian Pasta Salad
This pasta salad is portable and flexible. It’s also a nice way to play around with the vegetables of the season.
Salmon with Polenta and Warm Tomato Vinaigrette
Frankly if you served a shoe over polenta I would be happy. But this salmon is so much better.
Caprese Garlic Bread
An open-faced marriage of garlic bread, ripe tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, basil, with a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
Loin Lamb Chops with Roasted Tomato and Garlic Sauce
A good looking plate of lamb, with a memorable sauce.
Mayo-Free Vegan Pasta Salad
So easy, so colorful, so make ahead, so crowd-pleasing….and actually a vegan pasta salad, too).
Chili Rubbed Flank Steak with Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad
Steak corn and tomatoes get kicked upstairs.
Chicken with Tomato and Leek Pan Sauce with Jasmine Rice
A summery pan sauce turns a package of chicken breasts into a colorful quick dinner.
Mushroom, Mozzarella, and Cherry Tomato Pizza
In flavor and in looks, this pizza kind of keeps you on your toes, in a really good way.
Greek Orzo Salad
This pasta salad takes its cues from the ingredients featured in a classic Greek Salad, and goes with almost anything you can imagine.
Tomato, Avocado and Cucumber Salad
Colorful and fresh and filled with a variety of textures, this easy recipe is a great summer and early fall go-to salad for all kinds of meals.
Mediterranean Tomato Wheat Berry Salad with Fresh Herbs
This salad has a whole lot going on in terms of color, texture, taste, and nutrition.
California BLT
The West Coast version of a classic BLT (with a little hack for the perfect toasted bread).
Cherry Tomato Salad
Cherry or grape tomatoes are just plain cheery and delicious, and here they are the star of their own little show in a gorgeous salad perfect for any time of year.
Grilled Shrimp Salad with Citrus Dressing
A beautiful summer salad that’s robust and light at the same time.
Summer Whole Grain and Vegetable Salad
Farro, or whatever grain you choose, is mixed with a whole bunch of vegetables — plenty of texture and chew, super satisfying, and gorgeous to boot.
Tomato, Red Onion, Watercress, Feta and Olive Salad
15 minutes gets you to an explosion of summery color and flavor in a bowl.
Roasted Tomato Sauce
With a jar of this in the fridge, you will make dinner interesting in two shakes.
Tomato Mozzarella Pasta Salad
This is the pasta salad version of Caprese salad; late summertime eating at its finest and freshest.
Creamy Tuscan Chicken
This is one of the most delicious chicken dishes I have made in a while. It also might be one of the prettiest. A one skillet dish!
Summer Shrimp and Avocado Salad
If you start with precooked shrimp, this beautiful and satisfying salad can be on the table in 15 minutes! (Add about 7 minutes if you're cooking the shrimp yourself!)
