Tomato Season Recipes (2024)

Here are my first tomatoes of the season- right off the vine. I like to serve them uncooked when the tomatoes are at maximum freshness and most juicy. This is when you taste all the flavor a tomato has to offer.

This cheap$kate gardener seldom has a bumper crop, but the ones I pick will be put to delicious use. If you don't have a garden, maybe you have a generous neighbor, a local fave farmers market, or if you are on the road and just pull over into a roadside veggie and fruit stand with a hand-painted tomato sign.

So read on for the freshest tomato recipes that are just a slice away. And click on any recipe name to be directed to my blog post for the complete recipe text with photo illustrations.

For a fresh garden tomato just simply slice it and add a couple more ingredients. My favorite recipe is for aCaprese Saladthat's composed of fresh mozzarella, a few basil leaves, salt, olive oil, and of course, thick slices of fresh tomato.

Arrange the parts on a plate and serve at room temperature. Set out a plate for your guests, and be sure to have a couple bottles of wine ready to pour.

My Latin market, Superior, carries the cheapest whole tomatoes. Smaller Roma tomatoes are usually the least expensive. Store-bought cherry tomatoes pop with flavor.

Summertime is the right time for a chilly tomato soup by way of Spain calledGazspacho.It is a great way to start a patio party, just set out a bowl and let your guest serve themselves while you man the grill.

Gazsphachois a tasty medley of fresh tomatoes, bell pepper, garlic, onion, and cucumber. It gets a rich hit of olive oil to finish in the blender. No cooking is needed for this recipe and you can see how easy to pull off below.

An Italian version of salsa on tortilla chips, are lightly marinated chopped tomatoes served on wedges of toast, that's calledBruschetta. Serve it as a crunchy appetizer.

Salads and large chunks of sliced homegrown tomatoes belong together. Go light on the salad dressing though, because you want that fresh tomato flavor to come through clearly.

Ais a simple side dish to make. It's okay to use always cheap fresh, frozen, or even canned corn.

I have a2 Minute Saladmade with easy-to-get ingredients, including canned chicken (okay to substitute canned tuna), canned beets, spinach, and tomato.

Click on any photo to see larger.

This cheap$kate salad travels well and can be quickly put together for lunch at your workplace.

My most unusualHearts of Palm Salad - Brazilian Styleuses canned hearts of palm.If you have never tried hearts of palm, then break yourself in with this fresh salad idea.

Another salad takes the crown forBest Classic Salad, my version of aCrab Louis Salad. While expensive ingredients are called for, I have found frozen asparagus frequently on sale, and I use cheap fake crab or krab.

Of course, if you are cooking to impress then use real lump crab meat.

Sauteed sliced steak, or feta cheese, on a salad, needs a strong flavored tomato, and a garden tomato is up for the job in myWarm SteakandArmenian-Stylesalads, that feature pungent feta cheese.

Italian pasta sauces will not be much improved upon with a fresh garden tomato. However, the exception is myRustic Tomato Sauce with Pasta. The fresh tomato is added at the last minute and only cooked until it starts to collapse, but still at peak flavor.

A big fat tomato slice is what every sandwich requires, at least in my recipe book. I like tomato on myBreakfast Egg Sandwichand even a wedge of tomato nestled in myChicago-style Hot Dog.

For aBacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich, you gotta have a good tomato. I often kick myBLTup a notch with the addition of sliced avocado.

For my vegetarian visitors add tomato to my delish grilledPortabella Mushroom Burger, or aVeggie Wrap with Hummus.

Mexican cuisine loves the tomato. And the freshest way to use it is chopped into a chunkyPico de Gallosalsa. Serve it with your favorite tortilla chips, or add this salsa to almost any Mexican entree like burritos comprised ofCarnitas(pork,)Carne Asada(steak,),(?!!) -- and tacos made withFish,Carne Asada,Carnitas,Poultry,Breakfast,Tinga(spicy chicken stew,)Chicken Green Chile Verde, and,

ASummer Cevichemade with krab, drained black beans, cucumber, tomato, onion, cilantro, and creamy avocado is my go-to patio party starter. Set out a big bowl of chips to scoop up my coolKrabCeviche. And be sure to have some Picante hot sauce at the ready.

I'll leave you with a bit of cheap$kate comedy about my video visit to a local garden nursery for free noshing on fruit picked fresh from the vine, including a beefsteak tomato.Bon Appetit !