Tomatoes are at their juiciest and sweetest in August and early September. Now is the time to buy as many as you can fit in your shopping cart and eat them raw with a sprinkle of salt, cooked down into simple sauces, sliced up in salads, and even tossed on top of your breakfast bowls. All of the following recipes taste best during peak tomato season, so plan ahead and eat up!
Peaches and Tomatoes with Burrata and Hot Sauce
This Epicurious recipe relies on a zippy dressing and luscious cream cheese to take it beyond the basic peach and burrata salad. The acidic tomatoes and sweet peaches shine when served alongside grilled meats like pork chops.
Brown Butter Tomatoes on Toast
This open-faced toast from Goodtaste uses only a few ingredients, but they’re of the best quality. Splurge for that nice European-style butter and a good loaf of crusty bread. When it comes to your tomatoes, use extra-ripe ones that are bursting with juices. The toasty brown butter gives you a satisfying sizzle when it is drizzled over the top and is a deeply savory counterpoint to the acidity of the fresh tomatoes.
Garlic Fried Tomatoes
These garlicky tomatoes, from Reem Kassis’s book The Arabesque Table, are a simple six-ingredient meze (appetizer) that tastes fantastic on its own or on top of a thick slice of toast! Use the juiciest tomatoes you can find—reach for tomatoes that are especially heavy for their size.
Farmers Market Breakfast Bowl
When you have more tomatoes than you can eat at dinner, start layering them into breakfast dishes like this loaded bowl from Love & Lemons. The whole thing is pulled together by an herby yogurt sauce, the leftovers of which can be repurposed as a salad dressing or marinade later in the week.
Chef John’s Gazpacho
There’s no substitute for perfectly ripe, super-sweet, and ultra-juicy tomatoes. This recipe from Allrecipes relies on tomatoes at their prime, so make as much of this gazpacho as you possibly can in August and September!
Southern Tomato Sandwich
Tomato sandwiches are best served simply—using two slices of soft white bread, with a generous smear of your preferred mayo, and topped with salt and cracked black pepper. Southern Living calls for beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes for the juiciest possible results.
No-Cook Summer Tomato Sauce
This is the ultimate lazy summer dinner! When cherry and sungold tomatoes are bursting with flavor, slice them and let them soak in olive oil and a touch of vinegar—the sweet juices seep out and make an incredible sauce. This recipe from Goodtaste is better the longer you let it sit, but in a pinch, you can marinate the tomatoes while you boil the water and cook the pasta.
Summer Corn, Tomato, and Salmon Salad with Za’atar Dressing
This zesty salad from Epicurious uses just one pot of boiling water to cook both the corn and the salmon, making this a great option for weeknights! Za’atar, a spice blend that typically includes toasted sesame seeds, dried sumac, salt, and thyme, is readily available at most grocery stores and online.
Tomato and White Cheddar Tart
Serve this appetizing tart from Goodtaste as a light dinner with a simple green salad on the side, or cut it into smaller wedges and arrange it on a platter for an easy party bite. The most important step is to let the tomato slices drain on paper towels and pat them dry before arranging them over the pastry. If there is too much moisture, the bottom of your crust will get soggy.
Heirloom Tomatoes with Ricotta and Savory Granola
When the tomatoes are this good, lemony ricotta and savory granola are all you need to round out a simple breakfast like this one from Food & Wine. Top with any herbs, sprouts, or seeds you have on hand for an extra pinch of protein and crunch.
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