22 Recipes That Make the Most of Summer Tomatoes

It feels like it’s about to be Christmas in July, and you know why? Because it’s tomato season, and there are few things we harp on more than the fact that peak-of-summer tomatoes are so unquestionably the best of the year. Though not all of us are so lucky as to have a green thumb and tomato plants in the yard (ha, a yard!), we’re among the legion that flock to the farmers’ market for the lumpiest, ready-to-burst heirloom tomatoes we can find.

We’re not over-hyping the importance of the perfectly ripe summer tomato, though. They really are that much better than the canned ones, and the ones we resort to in December, so don’t waste this opportunity to really let tomatoes shine. While the salted tomato and mayonnaise sandwich on white bread is one of summer’s truly great, simple joys, we rounded up our favorite recipes that call for fresh, summer-ripened tomatoes to really show off what that blessed little nightshade can do.

Sungolds are a hybrid tomato that have become extremely popular because of their sweetness and golden sunset hue. With a big batch of this sungold tomato sauce, you can have tomato toast for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Catch your tomatoes while they’re underripe and perfectly tart to make this spicy green tomato jam that will fit right in on a cheese and charcuterie plate for your next backyard hang.

A good tomato needs only a touch of salt and balsamic vinegar—it should be so perfectly juicy that it basically dresses itself. With shallots and capers, there’s no better way than to honor those beauties than this tomato salad.

Use nice, fresh cherry tomatoes as the foundation for this summer pantry pasta—then build your dream meal with whatever else you have lying around in the fridge.

Though we basically count the seconds each summer until tomatoes hit their peak, fried green tomatoes reward impatience. Chef Doug Adams showed us how to serve them with sungolds and cucumbers in a honey vinaigrette.

This green gazpacho is a take on the classic, cool summer dish from acclaimed chef Greg Baxtrom of Brooklyn’s Olmsted. He uses tart green tomatoes and cucumbers to achieve a vibrant hue.

We’re not saying you can’t make salsa any other time of year, but we can promise you that this salsa roja will taste an order of magnitude better if you’re using fresh summer tomatoes.

Classic Panzanella Salad Recipe

Panzanella salad is “salad” for people who actually just want to eat a sandwich and/or aren’t really all that into greens. Salt your tomatoes, char some good bread, then let everything macerate in olive oil and vinegar for a quintessential summer meal.

For a truly impressive vegetable dish, leave your tomatoes on the vine while you blister them over an open flame, and then practice your perfect cross-hatched grill marks on big chunks of eggplant.

We would be remiss if we didn’t suggest turning your tomatoes into a bruschetta and serving it on toasty slices of Italian bread for an easy appetizer, or weekday lunch. (And it’s even better if you use infused olive oil.)

There’s more than one way to preserve the bounty of summer tomatoes. If canning isn’t the project for you, try your hand at pickling cherry tomatoes to stretch the season a little longer.

Xhongshi chao is a stir-fried tomato and egg dish and a classic Chinese comfort food. Serve it with warm rice, and this recipe makes for a perfect weekend breakfast or a light weeknight dinner.

The simplicity of this salad—little more than romaine lettuce, tomatoes, and anchovies—makes it the perfect choice for summer dinner. You’ll have to turn the oven on for a few minutes, but it’ll be worth it.

This recipe for fresh okra and tomatoes stewed with smoky bacon comes from culinary historian and food writer Michael Twitty, and its the perfect example of how tomatoes get their due in the summer in the South.

We’ll stand by mayonnaise and tomato sandwiches as one of the best and quickest ways to get a good tomato down your gullet, but these green tomato toasts, with schmaltz instead of mayo, aren’t a bad idea either.

Trick all your pasta-loving dinner guests with these “noodles” made out of yuba, or tofu skin, for a gluten-free version of the classic pasta all’amatriciana, thanks to chef Stuart Brioza.

The char on these scallops, tomatoes, and corn cobs brings out the sweetness in each ingredient. Finish the dish with an easy herb sauce, and you’ve got a perfect summer grilling night dinner.

We’re a big fan of any recipe that prominently features tomatoes and lots of fresh basil, since we generally can’t get enough of that combo. This homemade gnocchi recipe is no exception.

This seafood recipe from Matty Matheson uses every good veggie the summer months have to offer—and it especially does not skimp on the tomatoes. Bonus: it comes together in just a half hour.

Don’t eat meat? That doesn’t mean you have to give up one of summer’s best sandwiches: the BLT. Marinated and search tempeh slabs make a perfect filling for vegetarian-friendly take on the BLT.

Fresh, creamy burrata, uber-ripe tomatoes, and balsamic vinegar are sort of the trifecta of summer snacking. This burrata salad recipe “serves 4,” but it’s totally understandable to crush the whole thing yourself.

This simple chopped salad can be served as a side dish to virtually anything you’ve got going on for lunch or dinner, so make a big batch that'll last you a while.

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