40 Fresh Tomato Recipes You'll Love

Tender Parmesan-pepper pastry cradles heirloom tomatoes, shallots, goat cheese and fresh herbs in a fold-over tart that's ideal for weekend brunch. Serve it warm or at room temperature, though the leftovers taste great cold-if you have any!

Protein-rich edamame makes this salad a nutritious meal, especially when paired with whole-grain bread.

Tuck grilled Halloumi cheese among ripe heirloom tomatoes. Scatter with quick-pickled red onion, oregano, pepper and olive oil. Dive in like it's the Aegean.

Light, no-cook lemon-garlic sauce dresses a tangle of linguine and vegetables. Mix red and yellow cherry tomatoes for the prettiest dish.

Try this sweet, colorful salsa-made with tomato, mango and melon-over chips, fish or chicken.

Olives and feta give salty punch to this pasta salad from Surdyk's Liquor and Cheese Shop in Minneapolis. 

Cara Mangini spoons these luscious tomatoes over crostini that she's smeared with goat cheese or ricotta, then tops each with extra basil. You can also fold them into pasta or cooked grains like farro, or serve them as a side dish with bread to mop up the juices. The recipe comes from The Vegetable Butcher cookbook.

This recipe has been a favorite with Midwest Living® readers since it was first published in August 2000. It's from Geri Boesen, former 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.

Sweet cherry tomatoes and caramelized onions bubble under cheesy cornmeal biscuits. Serve with a crisp lettuce salad for a meat-free harvest supper.

This simple tapa is served as a bar snack throughout Spain. The quantities are deliberately vague-this is a recipe you can (and should) improvise. Make it with ripe local tomatoes and the nicest olive oil you can afford for the best flavor.

Annie France of Mission, Kansas, invented this 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.

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.

Shredded chicken makes this gorgeous salad hearty enough to serve on its own for dinner.

The sweet tomatoes blend with tangy-mellow balsamic vinegar and basil. Serve with some crusty bread to soak up the liquid.

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.

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.

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.

Gooey Monterey Jack cheese bubbles inside fresh tomatoes, while chopped sweet peppers and toasted sliced almonds add crunch.

Sun-ripened heirloom tomatoes, zucchini, carrots and summer squash top Garden Delight pizza from Suncrest Gardens Farm in Cochrane, Wisconsin.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Heather Secrist uses kale in her pesto for this tomatoey creation, though you can substitute arugula, spinach or basil if you prefer. "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."

Swiss cheese, plump tomatoes, tender zucchini and herbs flavor this rich breakfast bake. Bonus: You can make it a day ahead and bake it in the morning. 

Melty mozzarella covers tomatoes, zucchini, pepperoni, and fresh herbs in this quick-fix brunch dish.

A backyard garden's worth of colorful summer veggies fill this beautiful potluck salad. The toasted bread chunks absorb the dressing and juices from the tomatoes; you won't believe how delicious they taste! 

Tomato plants gone wild? This giant batch of salsa will help deplete the vines.

For a fresh twist on Caprese salad, stack roma tomatoes, avocado slices and deli-roasted chicken. A squeeze of lime and sprinkling of fresh basil add just the right finishing touches.

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. 

Crushed red pepper adds heat to homemade tomato sauce; protein-rich eggs cook right on top. Serve with flatbread or multigrain toast for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Don't let any hard, unripened tomatoes go to waste! Pile this gingery, sweet-tart relish on brats or hamburgers, or serve it over grilled fish. The relish keeps well in the fridge for 1 week, but if you like, it can be canned for longer storage or to be given as gifts.

Move over, burgers! There's a new sandwich in town. Rosemary and oregano season a rustic, open-face pileup that's ready in just 35 minutes.

Red and yellow cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella balls, and plenty of herbs and spices add color and flavor to this bountiful pasta salad. Sprinkle fresh basil on top.

Grilling brings out the sweetness in cherry tomatoes, which pair beautifully with the smoky flavor of planked salmon. Brown rice or quinoa round out a healthy dinner.

Any variety of ripe tomato can be used for this sweet and tangy spread. Try it on sandwiches, as a topping for fish or meats or as an accompaniment for a gourmet cheese board.

A salad showcases garden goodies like few other dishes. You can prepare this variation of a classic layered salad in either a 3-quart clear bowl or eight 16-ounce glasses.

Kalamata olives add flavor to the homemade tomato sauce in this vegetarian pasta meal. And it's ready in 20 minutes!

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.

"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."

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.