When they’re at the height of their season, ripe and red, I absolutely love fresh tomatoes. Right now my local markets are bursting with them. I picked up a bunch on my last shopping trip. Now, what to make?
Chips and salsa are one of my favorite snacks. In the summer, I love to make Stephanie Rudy’s (Orlando, FL) Fresh Tomato Salsa.
“This is good with chips and rice dishes or anything you like,” thinks Stephanie. She’s right.
It’s filled with chopped tomatoes, green onions, jalapeno, and garlic. Freshly squeezed lime juice adds a pop of citrus. You can tailor the amount of jalapenos depending on your degree of spice tolerance so this is a recipe that suits everyone.
One bite of Babz Bernad’s (Cleveland, OH) Blue Cheese n Bacon Summer Salad and you’ll think you’re eating a BLT – just without the bread!
“This can also be used for any type of salad greens,” explains Babz. “For some reason, the onion, blue cheese, bacon, and dressing go together just right. It is a favorite from my kitchen.”
If you need to bring a dish to a Labor Day barbecue, take a look at this one (it can easily be doubled or tripled). I loved the bits of smoky bacon with the tangy blue cheese and fresh tomatoes. Yum!
“I took an African cooking class this week and this is the salad we made to go with our dinner,” shares Laurie Sanders (Seattle, WA). “It is easy, a little different and tasty.”
All the bright colors in Laurie’s Ethiopian Tomato Salad mixed together makes this dish an inviting treat. The base of the salad has tomatoes, onion, and jalapeno; the dressing is tangy and sweet. This will be delicious alongside grilled chicken or burgers.
The combination of herbs, along with the sauteed onions and tomatoes make Jenny Powers’ (Abingdon, VA) Tomato Herb Pie one fabulous meal.
“I made this with fresh tomatoes and herbs,” says Jenny. “This pie can be eaten hot, room temperature or cold. It is so good, try it and put a smile on your face.”
The combination of herbs, along with the sauteed onions and tomatoes make one fabulous meal. Serve it with a side salad and you have an easy dinner. I really enjoyed the basil in this pie… it packed the perfect flavor punch.
You can’t talk tomatoes without mentioning BLTs.
“The birth of this sandwich in my house came from the fact that we were looking forward to bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches one night for dinner and my husband forgot to bring the bread home,” reveals Barbara Miller (Oakdale, MN). “Well, you start to ask yourself what you could use for bread and the pancake was the first thought, not too appealing, but then the waffle became a reality.”
I never thought of using frozen waffles as a bun but boy, her twist was good. Barbara’s Ultimate Bacon Lettuce and Tomato Waffles Sandwich is delicious. She ups the flavor game by creating a basil mayo. I absolutely loved the pop of flavor it gave the dish. I think it makes the sandwich.
Juicy, fresh tomatoes just remind me of summer. While they’re in season, give one of these recipes a try. Do you have a favorite way to eat fresh tomatoes? Tell us below and Happy Pinching!