Three Quick and Easy Tomato Dishes for Summertime
Between work and kids and life in general, it can be hard to make time for gardening. You have to sneak it in the edges. My favorite time to get a few minutes in the garden is just before dusk. A little weeding and mulching. And of course, picking the fruits and veggies that are ready.
In summer, that means TOMATOES!
Do you grow tomatoes? How are yours doing so far?
And most importantly, what’s your favorite way to eat them?
Show and tell time… let’s hear about your tomato dishes!
In the comments below, I’d love to hear about how you prepare tomatoes at your house.
I’ll get the ball rolling with our family’s go-to tomato dishes. These three tomato recipes are quick, easy, and delicious. (In fact, they’re so easy that I’m not sure they count as recipes!)
Our kids can help prepare them, and they’ll usually eat the dishes, too…or at least take a taste!
Simply Dressed
- In a bowl, whisk together equal parts olive oil and balsamic vinegar with a couple pinches of salt. One tablespoon each of oil/vinegar will make enough dressing for ~2 people.
- If you’re feeling fancy, add a dollop of Dijon mustard, a minced garlic clove, a pinch of sugar, and/or a handful of finally-chopped parsley, oregano, or basil.
- Now, you have a choice:
- Pour the dressing over sliced tomatoes, or
- Offer as a dip for halved cherry tomatoes, or
- Add coarsely chopped tomatoes and other veggies to the bowl and toss. Cucumbers, onions, and peppers work well.
Simply Layered
This method works best with medium and large tomatoes.
- Slice your tomatoes 1/2 inch thick and arrange on a platter.
- Sprinkle with a few pinches of salt and an optional drizzle of nice olive oil.
- Add a layer of cheese. I like thinly sliced mozzarella cheese or small chunks of goat cheese. (If you use a “salty” cheese, skip the salt in step 2.)
- Chop up a generous handful of basil. (We use scissors to cut thin ribbons!)
- Sprinkle the basil on top and enjoy!
Simply Roasted
This is my favorite way to use up lots of cherry tomatoes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Oil a rimmed cookie sheet or cake pan.
- Fill the pan with a single later of cherry tomatoes. (You could coarsely chop larger tomatoes here, too.)
- Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle on salt and pepper to taste. We sometimes add some dried herbs as well.
- Stir well.
- Roast in oven until the cherry tomatoes start to burst open, usually about 10-20 minutes.
You can use the roasted tomatoes as a stand-alone side dish or serve over your favorite noodle. I’ll like to save the extra to put on my eggs the next morning.
Now, I’d love to hear from you.
What are your favorite ways to eat tomatoes in summer time? Please share them in the comments below!
these are great thanks i like tomatoes just cut in quarters and eat fresh tomatoes always great
We made a delicious Sardinian dish from the Blue Zone Solutions book the other day. Fish layered with potatoes and onions and…giant beefsteak tomatoes!! Unfortunately not from my garden because mine are all still green. They are taking forever! But the cherry tomatoes are luckily in abundance and ripe!
Pico de ago (spelling off). Just jalopeno, onions and tomatoes. Served with tortillas. But my tomatoes aren’t ripe yet. They are aromas and are getting big, but not red yet. The tomatoes I planted in the flower garden are wilty. The ones in the regular garden have blight. It has to be because all the rain we have been getting here in northern Illinois.
Simplicity. This recipe is an oldie and a fav with roasts & BBQs.
Layer sliced tomato and fresh sliced onion and season with fresh ground salt and crzcked pepper. Cover with freh bread crumbs, or if in hurry butter bread slices and cut part way through. Bake in mod oven about 20 – 30 min. Shorten cooking by giving it a min or two in microwave. Nò herbs needed. Sensational taste just as it is.
We like to slice beef steak tomatoes put graded parmesan cheese and sprinkle dried herbs de Provence, bake for 10 min in 400 oven. When ready sprinkle with extra Virgin olive oil, glazed Balsamic vinegar, and sliced fresh basil
Tomato sandwiches! Spread organic or plant-based mayo on a couple slices of lightly toasted ciabatta or sourdough bread. Sprinkle salt and pepper on a few fresh tomato slices and sandwich between the bread. Sooo simple and delicious! If you have homegrown baby greens, a handful of tender leaves would be a good addition, too.
I love to take several cherry or grape tomatoes, and each one gets a fresh basil leaf, a Ciliegenie (?) little cheese ball, (the type that comes in a little cottage cheese size tub packed in water), and many times I add a slice of avocado, drizzle with a GOOD olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt, pepper too, if you like. Skewer them on a toothpick and there ya go!