Taken with Tomatoes
Tomatoes are out in full force. Tomatoes that are full of flavor, have ripened naturally and cost a dime a dozen (almost). Everywhere you look, they are being served up in a myriad of ways.
This past weekend at Big Summer Potluck, a food blogging retreat in Pennsylvania, we ate them sliced in a simple salad of tomato, red onion, feta cheese and olive oil. Fresh pepper and salt was the only condiment needed to finish off that simple salad.
On Friday, at New York City’s famous Clinton St. Bakery Company, I ate tomato jam on a buttermilk breakfast sandwich, a perfect accompaniment to a rich breakfast of eggs, bacon and cheese. I now can’t get the idea out of my head for homemade tomato jam. It was perfect.
I herald the arrival of the fresh summer tomatoes as enthusiastically as sundresses and bare feet. Like most produce, they are best enjoyed simply adorned. Here are a few more ideas for serving up tomatoes.
Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
One of my favorite ways to preserve tomatoes is to slow-roast them, then pack them in olive oil and freeze. These little jewels pack a punch of flavor and are great on pizzas, added to past dishes, or just enjoyed on crackers with soft cheese.
Get the recipe: Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes.
Homemade Pizza Sauce
We’ve got three versions of homemade pizza sauce, my personal favorite being Roasted Tomato and Garlic Pizza Sauce. Make it in small or large batches; either way, you’re guaranteed to make your kitchen smell amazing.
Fresh Tomato Bruschetta
Bake rounds of French baguette until crisp. Pile tomatoes onto the crostini, drizzle with olive oil and dot with fresh goat’s cheese for a fast bruschetta. Chopped fresh herbs optional.
Grilled Corn, Cherry Tomato & Avocado Salad
Hands down, my favorite late-summer salad. The cherry tomatoes are the perfect balance for the sweet corn and rich avocados.
Get the recipe: Grilled Corn, Cherry Tomato & Avocado Salad
Chilled Yellow Tomato Soup
This quick chilled tomato soup requires just a bowl and a blender and can be kept in the fridge for no-fuss light lunches all week long.
Open-faced BLT
Toast thick slices of rustic country bread. Spread with mayonnaise and top with a generous amount of sliced tomatoes. Top with crisped bacon and lettuce. Enjoy, and don’t forget to wipe your chin.
More Tomato Recipes:
- Watermelon, heirloom tomato and feta salad :: Gourmande in the Kitchen
- Savory Tomato Pie :: Bluebonnets and Brownies
- Pan-seared Eggplant with Tomato Cream Sauce :: Stetted
- Creamy Tomato Basil Soup :: Food for My Family
- Tomato Tart Tartin :: Dinner with Julie
- Roasted Garlic and Tomato Bruschetta :: My Baking Addiction
- 14 Ways to Enjoy Ripe Tomatoes
How are you serving up your tomatoes?
Oh, I’m so excited to try slow-roasting and freezing my tomatoes! Thanks for a great idea.
Great post! Though makes me so hungry for some good fresh tomatoes…mine are very slow to ripen this year.
Love the cherry tomato idea…mine is in ambush mode in the garden and I need to figure out how to use all of them.
Other than canning tomatoes, I also like to roast the big ones: http://alifeinbalance.net/how-does-your-garden-grow-roasted-tomato-puree/
I’m going to try the slow-roasted cherry tomatoes on Wednesday. My garden is bursting at the seams with cherry tomatoes, and all I was doing was freezing them in quart freezer bags. I also like to dehydrate them, but had no time right now.
Tomatoes sure are in full swing. I just made an awesome feta cheese which is crying out for all the tomatoes on the counter. I see you have a watermelon, tomato and feta recipe listed… Seems like this would be the week to try it.
I went with fresh pico de gallo this weekend to try and tame the tomato migration into my kitchen.
Thanks for adding some more ideas. To my upcoming week.
Looks like fun.
T
Definitely want to roast, pack and freeze some tomatoes now! Aimee, have you found a tomato jam recipe that you like or hope to try?
That tomato jam was something special, wasn’t it? Thanks so much for the link love. I could eat tomatoes in any preparation. When I was a kid, we used to pick them off the vine in Nan’s garden and eat them like apples. She served them nearly every day for lunch, with McCormick’s Season-All. Since then, I’ve made many a simple lunch with the season-all, tomato slices, and cottage cheese.
Just made a panzanella with lots of ripe juicy tomatoes! Now I need to slow roast some tomatoes.
So many things you can do with tomatoes! I never knew you could do so much with them! I usually just take the lazy and boring way out of things and just eat them whole and raw in salads. Thanks for all the recipes!
Wow this was awesome.. thank you for posting. Looks so delicious.
Hi, I have never froze tomatotes let alone in oil. How do they hold up being froze in oil???
Thanks for this yummy post dear.
My mother is a cook, I am going to show her this.
Actually I am going to send her the link to your blog now 🙂
All the best and keep up the good work
Such wonderful photos, and these recipes are a must make!
I love tomatoes!! I want to try your slow roasting and freezing for sure! If I slow roast and put in a can and ship them to my mom (a few states away) and then she freezes them, do you think they will last? Or will they be spoiled??
I eat tomatoes ANY WHICH WAY. They are simply my favorite summer food.
Thanks for sharing these recipes. Will definitely check them out.
hey aimee- thanks for the great writeup about our restaurant (clinton st. baking co)!
our tomato jam recipe is in our (newish) cookbook – a best of ny times’ 2010. it’s at amazon for $17. check it out.
best
dede
Thanks for stopping by, Dede! We really enjoyed our breakfast at your lovely place. My friend purchased your cookbook, and I was tempted as well! I’ll look into Amazon, thanks.
I simply must try that corn, cherry tomato, and avocado salad. And I will for sure be making tomato jam this summer as well. 🙂
We have lots of cherry tomatoes in our yard right now! I’m thinking bruschetta sounds like a great idea for dinner tonight:-).
this all looks so great! makes me impatient waiting for the tomatoes in my garden to ripen! 🙂
This article was fabulous. It was one delicous idea after another. Thanks so much. I will have to pick up extra tomatoes at the farmers market so I can try every single one.
The only reason i think we tolerate the weather during summer is because of tomatoes. Well, at least for me 😀 I can’t get enough of salads, especially with fresh corn, tomatoes, avocados etc. So fresh, sweet and delicious!
OMG I’m in love with the roasted tomato image! I want to go make some right now!
My favorite.. Caprese Salad : )