We’re deep into tomato season, when farmers market tables and backyard gardens seem to overflow with the fruit in every size, shape, and shade. Romas are perfectly ripe for simmering into sauce or canning for later, while beefsteaks and heirlooms hang heavy on their vines, their skins glowing red, pink, yellow, orange, and green. Cherry and grape tomatoes arrive, sweet, juicy, and impossible to resist snacking on by the handful.
It’s a brief, glorious stretch when one of our favorite ingredients is at its peak: fragrant, sun-warmed, and so flavorful that it needs little more than a sprinkle of salt. While we love a tomato at its most elemental, there are plenty of ways to put the season’s abundance to work. Whichever varieties you wind up hauling home (or, if you’re lucky, picking from the garden out back), keep things interesting with these standout recipes, handpicked from our archives.
Tomato Tart With Mustard and Herbs
Thinly sliced heirloom tomatoes atop a mustard-brushed pastry crust make for a wonderful addition to an apéro spread. Served alongside a green salad, this tart can pull double duty as a main course that is filling without being too heavy. Get the recipe >
Classic Caprese Salad
Some things are classics for a reason. This dish, greater than the sum of its parts, is one of our favorite ways to enjoy the freshest ingredients the season has to offer. Get the recipe >
Linguine With Fresh Peas and Cherry Tomatoes
Fresh peas and juicy cherry tomatoes make this linguine a bright, easygoing summer pasta and a simple way to put your farmers market haul to work. Get the recipe >
Garlic Scape and Cherry Tomato Pasta
Garlic scapes are one of summer’s fleeting treats, with a mellow flavor that turns sweeter when they are roasted. Here, they’re cooked alongside cherry tomatoes and red onion, then tossed with spaghetti, arugula, and lemon for a quick and fresh weeknight dinner. Get the recipe >
Summer Bolognese
This lighter take on Bolognese swaps a long-simmered meat sauce for a bounty of summer produce. Ripe tomatoes give the classic pasta ragù a warm-weather makeover, while ground beef and a handful of olives provide both richness and salinity while keeping the dish light enough to eat on a hot day. Get the recipe >
Peak-season tomatoes get a savory boost from nutty browned butter and bright scallions, making this an easy summer side for everything from grilled meats to crusty bread. Get the recipe >
In this salad from chef Eli Sussman, a mixture of juicy and crunchy cucumbers is tossed with ripe tomatoes and a caramelized-fennel vinaigrette. Cooking the fennel until it turns golden brings out its natural sweetness, which pairs nicely with the fresh vegetables. Get the recipe >
Chilled Tomato-Strawberry Soup
Sweet strawberries and ripe tomatoes make an unexpectedly natural pairing in this chilled soup. The strawberries bring a gentle sweetness to balance the tomatoes’ acidity, while fresh herbs and yogurt keep the whole dish bright and refreshing. Get the recipe >
Gazpacho Andaluz
This Spanish classic is at its best when made with truly ripe tomatoes, blended until silky with stale bread, cucumbers, and plenty of olive oil. Make a batch ahead and let it chill before serving for an easy no-cook meal on a hot day. Get the recipe >
Salmorejo
If gazpacho is the lighter, looser of Spain’s chilled tomato soups, salmorejo is its richer counterpart. Bread and olive oil give it a thick, velvety texture, while optional chopped egg and jamón add savory richness. Get the recipe >
Yellow Tomato Soup With Lamb Meatballs, Yogurt, and Mint
Sweet yellow tomatoes form the base of this summery soup and pair beautifully with tender lamb meatballs and cooling yogurt; fresh mint and a squeeze of lemon bring bright and herbal notes to each spoonful. If you can’t find yellow tomatoes, Sun Golds or even red cherry or grape tomatoes would also work. Just use the sweetest ones you can find. Get the recipe >
Burrata and Marinated Cherry Tomato Sandwiches
Marinating the cherry tomatoes ahead in olive oil, vinegar, and anchovy gives them time to soak up plenty of flavor before they’re layered with creamy burrata and good bread. It’s a sandwich worth making while tomatoes are at their best. Get the recipe >
Estela’s Tomato Toast
At New York’s Estela, slices of heirloom tomatoes are layered over charred pumpernickel spread with creamy French cheese. Fromager d’Affinois is the preferred choice, but Brie or another triple-cream cheese would also work beautifully. Get the recipe >
This is the kind of salad that makes a case for doing very little to summer produce. A vivid green purée provides a cool, creamy base for slices of silky peeled tomato, while a few bright accents keep the whole thing from feeling heavy. It’s especially well-suited to a leisurely lunch alfresco or as part of a larger spread. Get the recipe >
Tiella Pugliese
This rustic Southern Italian casserole layers peak-season tomatoes with plump mussels and tender potatoes, then gets finished with garlic, basil, olive oil, and crisp breadcrumbs. Baked until the tomatoes soften and the topping turns golden, it’s a simple but satisfying way to transform a haul of summer produce into a shareable meal. Get the recipe >
Fresh Tomato Soup With Basil and Crayfish
This striking summer soup lets ripe tomatoes take center stage. The fruit is passed through a food mill, then thickened with just enough cornstarch to leave it light and silky rather than heavy. Tender crayfish add a touch of sweetness, while fragrant basil brings vegetal freshness. Finished with a drizzle of olive oil for good measure, it’s an elegant first course for a warm-weather meal. Get the recipe >
Raw Tomato Sauce
When tomatoes are at their juiciest, there’s little reason to cook them at all. This easy no-cook sauce combines ripe tomatoes with basil, garlic, olive oil, and salty capers, making a fresh, flavorful dish that comes together in the time it takes to boil the water. Get the recipe >
Asparagus With Tomato Vinaigrette
Blanched asparagus gets a punchy dressing made from fresh and sun-dried tomatoes, basil, white wine vinegar, and a touch of honey. A somewhat unexpected addition of vanilla rounds out the acidity with a subtle floral sweetness. The blanched stalks soak up the vinaigrette before being topped with browned asparagus tips, resulting in a side dish with plenty of texture and concentrated tomato flavor. Get the recipe >
Baked Macaroni With Goat Cheese, Spinach, and Tomatoes
Tangy goat cheese and wilted spinach give this creamy baked macaroni plenty of savory depth. The pasta is tossed with the cheese and spinach, then topped with juicy tomatoes before going into the oven, where the top turns golden and the edges get crisp while the center stays soft and scoopable. Get the recipe >
Provençal Stuffed Tomatoes
Simple and elegant, these tomatoes are filled with chicken sausage, herbed rice, and parmesan for a satisfying summer main course. Get the recipe >
Grilled Tomatoes With Soy Sauce and Yuzu
Lacquered with a marinade of soy sauce, garlic, sansho pepper, and red yuzu kosho that caramelizes with just a few minutes on a hot grill, these flame-kissed tomatoes are bursting with flavor and come together quickly. Get the recipe >
Ensaladang Talong (Grilled Eggplant Salad)
Two of summer’s best produce items come together in this Filipino dish combining smoky grilled eggplant with the fresh acidity of in-season tomato and the (optional) umami depth of shrimp paste. Get the recipe >
Canned Sardine, Tomato, and Caper Sandwiches
If you’re not sure about tinned sardines (a SAVEUR staff favorite, by the way), this is a great excuse to give them a try. Be sure to buy the oil-packed variety, as their flavor is unmatched and their richness pairs perfectly with the vinegary dressing. Get the recipe >
Soy-Pickled Tomatoes With Silken Tofu
Best reserved for those hazy summer days when you can’t imagine using your stove, this protein-packed salad is the answer to the question of what to cook when it’s simply too darn hot. Get the recipe >
Heirloom and Cherry Tomato Salad
A timeless classic, this recipe from famed chef Alice Waters uses minimal components and lets the ingredients speak for themselves. Do yourself a favor and buy the absolute best tomatoes available. You won’t be disappointed. Get the recipe >
Cool down with this light and tangy salad, which pairs the bright and zippy flavor of sumac with peppery arugula and perfectly ripe tomatoes. It’s also a great way to use up leftover roast (or rotisserie) chicken. Just shred it up and add it in. Get the recipe >
Roasted Tomato Soup
Level up from the canned soup of your childhood with this easy and comforting one-pan delight. The sweetness of roasted carrots and onion mingle with tomato and olive oil and provide the perfect balance. Don’t worry—it still pairs well with grilled cheese. Get the recipe >
Tomato Confit
If your garden is overflowing with ripe tomatoes, this is one of the best ways to preserve your bounty. Be sure to submerge the tomatoes under the oil in a jar; they’ll keep in your fridge for a couple of months. Get the recipe >
Southern Tomato Pie
Anyone who shows up to the potluck with this cheesy tomato pie, crowned with thick slabs of vine-ripe tomatoes, is bound to be an instant celebrity. Get the recipe >
Seafood Pasta with Tomatoes, Chiles, and Mint
This elegant yet easy pasta turns tomatoes, wine, and seafood into an Italian-inspired masterpiece. Get the recipe >
Summer Panzanella
Hardened, day-old country bread gets a second act in this sweet and garlicky Italian salad enlivened by basil and balsamic vinegar. Get the recipe >
Provencal Vegetable Tian
In this classic Provençal dish, rows of sliced zucchini, eggplant, and tomato alternate and melt together to make a gorgeous fan effect. Get the recipe >
Marinated Tomatoes with Mint
This refreshing end-of-summer salad showcases the sweet juices of peak-season tomatoes, which play well with mint and grassy olive oil. Get the recipe >
Pan con Tomate
Toast spooned with grated tomato is Spain’s favorite breakfast, but it’s equally delightful alongside grilled meats and roasts. Get the recipe >
Ratatouille
Sautéing dried herbes de Provence in extra-virgin olive oil brings out their fragrance in this vegetable medley that’s a mainstay of Provençal cuisine. When in season, juicy fresh tomatoes bring ratatouille to the next level. Get the recipe >
Keep Reading
The Secret to Growing Better Tomatoes? Leave Them Alone
Salt-and-Pepper Fried Green Tomatoes
Bloody Martini
Learn How to Can Tomatoes the Easy Way
9 Hot Dog Recipes That Will Be the Hit of Any Cookout
Roasted Sausages With Cider-Caramelized Onions and Zucchini
Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs
Dirty Green Tomato Martini
Green Tomato Carpaccio
Source: www.saveur.com
