7 Tasty Tomato Recipes to Try Right Now
For tomato lovers, there is no better time of year than late July through September. Also known has the heavenly tomato months (OK, I may have made that up), but it is when tomatoes are in season and taste the best. Yes, you can get them year round, but they don't have that incredible flavor that you get with heirloom and vine-ripened tomatoes.
Most tomatoes from the farmers' market really only need a sprinkle of good quality salt when they are perfectly ripe - anything more dilutes the lovely flavor of them. However, they can also be used in a variety of dishes that taste infinitely better when made with fresh tomatoes in season. When shopping, look for tomatoes that are firm but with a slight give and without blemishes or bruises. And please, do not commit the sin of refrigerating them. They should be kept at room temperature, otherwise they will turn mealy in the cold and lose their flavor.
Tomatoes are not only tasty but also incredibly healthy: They are full of the carotenoid lycopene, which has gotten a lot of press recently for its cancer-protecting properties. They are also a good source of vitamin C as well as vitamins A and B, fiber, iron, potassium, and phosphorus. So it's a great idea to load up on them while the season lasts.
To help you in this process, we came up with these fantastic tomato-focused recipes. Let us know what you think and if you have any go-to tomato recipes of your own!
Cherry Tomato Bruschetta Recipe
I love the concept of standing in the kitchen and chatting with a friend while whipping up some culinary masterpiece. I don't know about you though, but that's not how it has ever really gone for me. Usually, I can't think about anything but what I'm making, so my sentences often have random ingredients thrown in. But this dish - this bright, sweet, colorful dish - is the perfect drink-wine-while-chatting-and-cooking-all-at-once snack.
Case in point: a good friend was in town, so I invited her to my place for a glass of wine and some snacks. (In this story, snacks = cherry tomato bruschetta.) We successfully stood at the kitchen counter, drinking a light California red, while I cooked up this extremely easy and tasty bite. It is a great appetizer or side dish and is virtually fool proof. The salt and the rosemary cut the sweetness of the tomatoes and the warm, slightly crispy (and salty) bread is the perfect carrier for it all.
Click here to see the Cherry Tomato Bruschetta Recipe
Roasted Tomato Chicken Salad Recipe
My favorite way to prepare tomatoes...Slowly roasting them with a sprinkle of salt in the oven. It's foolproof - if the tomatoes are a bit too watery, like they are this summer, roasting them concentrates all the flavor, adding a subtle textural element that is perfect in green salads, omelettes, or, as I've done here, in a chicken salad (or chicken salad sandwich).
Click here to see the Roasted Tomato Chicken Salad Recipe
Tomato, Cucumber, and Gorgonzola Salad Recipe
This is a slight variation on a salad served at the Pelican Club, a private dining room attached to the venerable Gaido's restaurant in Galveston, Texas.
Click here to see the Tomato, Cucumber, and Gorgonzola Salad Recipe
Tomato Mint Salsa Recipe
In the same way many people love Italian food so much that a part of them wishes they had a vowel on the end of their names, I sometimes think I'm so in love with the flavors of Mexican food that I wish I had some of that culinary heritage. Without having any family recipes to fall back on, I've created my own, and I'll immodestly cop to making one of the most kickass salsas around.
But over the years, as the tacos-gone-global trend has gone full-steam, I've made my own international variations too. In this one, the salsa takes a Greek spin. I love a good gyro, but one of the issues I always have with them is that there's too much bread. Using corn tortillas and making Greek tacos, you get all the great Greek flavors, but in mini-gyro form. This tomato mint salsa, along with a tzatziki, makes for the perfect finish.
Click here to see the Tomato Mint Salsa Recipe
Heirloom and Fried Tomato "Sandwich" Recipe
One of my favorite things is the bounty of tomatoes that fills our farmers' markets and grocery stores. My only dilemma is that there are too many kinds of tomatoes to choose from. I solved this problem by creating this tomato "sandwich" that uses fresh and sweet heirloom tomatoes with tart fried green tomatoes. With this treat I get the best of both tomatoes.
Click here to see the Heirloom and Fried Tomato "Sandwich" Recipe
Caprese Salad Skewers Recipe
Caprese salad is about as classic and simple as a dish can get, which is why presenting it in a less-than-expected way can add an extra special touch. Layering the essential elements - fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil - on toothpicks looks great and also makes it easy for your guests to grab the perfect bite.
Click here to see the Caprese Salad Skewers Recipe
Slow-Roasted Tomatoes Recipe
I love everything there is about tomatoes - I even eat them like apples. Everything, that is, except for sun-dried tomatoes. I don't know whether it's the chewy texture or the intense flavor (which doesn't taste like a tomato to me), but I really don't like them. It's the one ingredient that can steer me away from a dish.
However, this recipe is as close to a sun-dried tomato as I can get. I only cook them for 2 ½ hours so that they still retain some of their juices but have a more concentrated flavor. If you'd like, you can continue to cook them for 3-4 hours total, so that they shrivel up and more closely resemble a sun-dried tomato (or oven-dried tomato rather). I use these in pastas, with grilled pork, steak, chicken, or quickly cooked fish. To be honest, I also just eat them as they are.
INGREDIENTS
7-8 plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, trimmed and halved lengthwise
¼ teaspoon evaporated cane sugar
½ teaspoon dried mint or 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
Pinch of dried red chile flakes (optional)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to its lowest setting, usually around 200 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the tomatoes on it, cut side up. Distribute all of the remaining ingredients evenly over the tomatoes, just using a tiny drizzle of olive oil. Place in the oven and cook for 2 ½ hours or longer if desired.
Recipe Details
Total time: 2 ½ hours
Servings: 4
-Yasmin Fahr, The Daily Meal
