34 Fresh Tomato Recipes You'll Love
Fresh Tomato Tart [1]
This recipe has been a favorite with Midwest Living® readers since it was first published in August 2000. It's from Geri Boesen, creative director of the magazine. Geri combines Midwest-grown tomatoes (her favorites are from her home state of Iowa, of course) with fresh basil in a cheesy tart.
Roasted Cherry Tomato Chutney on Squash [5]
Annie France of Mission, Kansas, was a finalist in the 2012 Best of the Midwest Recipe Contest for this inventive and beautiful summer dish. Juicy cherry tomatoes are roasted and served over spaghetti squash with herbs and mozzarella balls. Annie says she serves it as a side dish, but we think it would make a fantastic meatless main.
Seasonal Pizzettes [9]
Roast fresh tomatoes, onion, sweet pepper and seasonings for a summer vegetable puree that tops whole wheat or white pita bread rounds. Smoked mozzarella adds another punch of flavor in this recipe from Sarah Slater of Casa Nueva restaurant in Athens, Ohio.
Seasonal Pizzettes [10]
Oven-Roasted Tomatoes [13]
The sweet tomatoes blend with tangy-mellow balsamic vinegar and basil. Serve with some crusty bread to soak up the liquid.
Basil-Tomato Salad [17]
Homemade Lemon Vinaigrette coats a fresh mix of lettuce, basil, and grape or plum tomatoes. For a meal, serve with chicken or fish drizzled with the vinaigrette.
Basil-Tomato Salad [18]
Mama Carolla's Bruschetta [21]
All our favorite Italian flavors--garlic, tomato, basil and cheese--meet in this crunchy appetizer. The recipe is from Mama Carolla's Old Italian Restaurant in Indianapolis.
Heirloom Tomato and Onion Quiche [25]
The recipe was developed for heirloom tomatoes such as Cherokee Purple or Brandywine, but if those aren't available, use whatever kind of tomatoes you like. Drain sliced tomatoes on a paper towel before adding them to the quiche.
Grilled Tomato Melts [29]
Gooey Monterey Jack cheese bubbles inside fresh tomatoes, while chopped sweet peppers and toasted sliced almonds add crunch.
Grilled Tomato Melts [30]
Suncrest Gardens Farm Garden Delight [33]
Sun-ripened heirloom tomatoes, zucchini, carrots and summer squash top Garden Delight pizza from Suncrest Gardens Farm in Cochrane, Wisconsin.
Avocado Pesto-Stuffed Tomatoes [37]
Stuff cherry tomatoes with a filling of avocado, cream cheese, pesto and lemon juice for an easy make-ahead appetizer. Tip: Cut a thin slice from the bottom of each tomato to help these nibbles stand upright!
Surdyk's Greek Orzo Salad [41]
Tomatoes are both the container and an ingredient for this pretty salad from Surdyk's Cheese Shop in Minneapolis. Purple-black kalamata olives and feta cheese blend with rice-shape orzo and fresh herbs for a Greek-inspired dish.
Greek Orzo Salad [42]
Tomato and Red Onion Salad [45]
A simple sweet-sour dressing coats fresh tomatoes and red onions. For the best color and flavor, vary the variety of tomatoes. Tiny ones can be left whole; larger ones can be sliced or cut in wedges.
Tomato and Cheese Tart [49]
Assorted varieties of tomatoes add color and freshness to this puff pastry tart. The pastry can be made ahead, then topped and baked at the last minute.
Fresh Tomato and Arugula Pasta [53]
Arugula is a spicy little green that gives this fresh tomato pasta a peppery bite. For a more mellow flavor, use spinach instead of arugula.
Fresh Corn, Tomato and Chipotle Chile Salsa [57]
Homemade salsa bursts with freshness thanks to straight-from-the-garden corn, tomatoes and sweet peppers. Chipotle chiles add a hint of heat alongside the tangy lime juice. It's like a bite of summer when scooped up on corn chips. You can also serve it with grilled meat or poultry.
Fresh Veggie Pizza [61]
This pizza is packed full of vegetables: tomtatoes, zucchini or yellow summer squash, sweet peppers, fresh mushrooms, green onions and more. If you have kids, have them help make this with their favorite vegetables.
Fresh Veggie Pizza [62]
Corn and Tomato Pasta Salad [65]
Fresh tomatoes and corn bring summer-fresh flavor to this salad. To make it a meatless main dish, omit the chicken and add two tablespoons of grated cheese per serving.
Linguine in Fresh Tomato Sauce With Garlic-Basil Toast [69]
Kalamata olives add flavor to the homemade tomato sauce in this vegetarian pasta meal. And it's ready in 20 minutes!
Grilled Chicken and Garden Vegetable Penne Pasta [73]
Tomatoes, squash, red sweet peppers and green onions give garden-fresh flavor to this chicken-and-pasta main dish. Also, the vegetables add nice color to the recipe, which comes from the Culinary Vegetable Institute in Milan, Ohio.
Suncrest Gardens Farm's Pesto Pizza [77]
Heather Secrist uses kale in her pesto for this tomatoey creation. "Pesto can be frozen in ice cube trays for use throughout the year," says Heather, owner of Suncrest Gardens Farm in Cochrane, Wisconsin. "Once frozen, place the cubes in a freezer bag to pull out as you need them."
Angel Hair Pasta Salad [81]
This make-ahead salad serves a crowd. It's chockfull of veggies, including tomato, broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, celery, sweet pepper, onion, and garlic. Substitute fresh mushrooms for canned, if you like.
Deep-Dish Salad Pizza [85]
This salad-in-a-pizza starts with purchased puff pastry for the crust, and finishes with meat, veggies, cheese and sorrel greens or spinach. Throw it all in the oven just long enough to melt the cheese and wilt the greens.
Zucchini-Pepperoni Pizza Frittata [89]
Melty mozzarella covers tomatoes, zucchini, pepperoni, and fresh herbs in this quick-fix brunch dish.
Salad Bread [93]
This is great as an appetizer or as an accompaniment to a meal, says Meta Newell West, a caterer, food consultant and food writer from Abilene, Kansas. "Salad Bread is bursting with summertime flavors and is a good way to use up excess garden produce."
Salad Bread [94]
Zucchini-Tomato Cups [97]
This quick and easy appetizer recipe comes from the Kirby House Restaurant in Abilene, Kansas. If you're not a blue cheese fan, use pesto-flavored cream cheese instead.
Zucchini-Tomato Cups [98]
Chunky Fresh Tomato Salsa [101]
"A very good fresh tomato salsa is within everyone's reach," says Chicago chef Rick Bayless. He developed this recipe for people who aren't knife wizards. It uses a food processor for the garlic, green chile, cilantro and half the tomatoes. "Green onions are the easiest to cut," he says, "but feel free to use white or red onion if that's what's available or appealing."
Super-Simple Tomato Salad [105]
For an easy summer appetizer, slice heirloom or other fresh tomatoes and season lightly with salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil. It will only take a minute, but it's special enough to serve guests.
Roasted Jalapeno Gazpacho [109]
Going to the trouble to roast a single pepper might seem unnecessary, but it adds a unique depth of flavor to the chilled soup. The recipe comes from Urban Roots Farm in Springfield, Missouri.
Chef's Garden Salad [113]
A salad showcases garden goodies like few other dishes. This recipe, passed along by the Culinary Vegetable Institute from the chefs at the Grand Hyatt in Atlanta, is a takeoff on the classic main-dish salad. You can prepare it in either a 3-quart clear bowl or eight individual 16-ounce glasses.
Chef's Garden Salad [114]
Grilled Green Tomatoes with Garden Herb Salad [117]
This recipe is perfect just before the beginning of tomato season and just as it ends. Grilling the tomatoes gives them a smokiness that complements their natural tanginess.
Bacon Lettuce Tomato Salad [121]
Shad Kirton, award-winning chef and co-owner of Absolute Flavors Catering/Smokey D's BBQ in Des Moines, created this salad based on the classic sandwich.
Baked Stuffed Vegetables Provencale [125]
Seasoned bread crumbs fill tomatoes, zucchini and eggplant in this baked side dish. Chef Erica Wides prepared the recipe for the Culinary Vegetable Institute in Milan, Ohio.
Portobello Mushroom Sandwich [129]
Thick-sliced tomatoes, hefty portobello mushrooms and slices of goat cheese make a hearty filling for this vegetarian sandwich.
Tomato Salad with Queso Fresco [133]
Chicago chef Rick Bayless says that the most intuitive approach to Mexican tomato salad is to recast chopped salsa ingredients--tomatoes, chopped green chiles, onions, cilantro and lime. "It's so delicious, such a no-brainer, and I've probably done it a hundred times," he says.
The guajillo chiles in Rick's recipe are smooth, shiny and reddish brown. In the world of chiles, they taste moderately hot.
More great vegetable recipes [137]
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