All Its Glory - Tomato recipes

Fresh, ripe, and always surprising, the midsummer tomato is making the most of its moment in the sun

By Jill Snider

There's nothing quite like a tomato. No vegetable can replace it in cooking and no other tastes as much like a celebration of the sun. Ripe, sweet, and juicy, a tomato is just that - a mouthful of midsummer.

And these days, we have a lot to celebrate, with all the tomatoes in farmers' markets and grocery stores. Where they used to come in red only, or maybe unripe and green, now they're yellow, orange, white, purplish-black, striped, and mottled. They're as small as berries or as big and hollow as bell peppers, candy-sweet or very tart. Many (but not all) are heirloom varieties, the old, unhybridized tomatoes brought out of obscurity by small-scale farmers and backyard gardeners. But even if all you find are the familiar types, a fresh tomato now, in the height of its season, is a succulent pleasure. Enjoy it.

The recipes

Easy Tomato Salads
Smoked Tomato Salsa
Tomato and Mushroom Toast Cups
Crunchy Fried Beefsteak Tomatoes
Grilled Summertime Salad
Tomato, Melon, Cucumber, and Berry Salad
Golden Gazpacho
Tomato and Shrimp Pasta Salad
Tomato Cheese Tart

Online bonus recipes (courtesy of Foodland Ontario)

Golden Scrambled Eggs and Fresh Tomato Salsa
Grilled Tomato Pizza
Grilled Shrimp and Tomato Pasta Salad
Roasted Vegetable Stew
Baked Tomatoes with Cheddar Frittata Filling
Corn and Tomato Omelette Wrap
St. Patrick's Baked Potatoes and Tomatoes

Published in the Summer 2009 issue of Cottage Life magazine.

Copyright © 2009 by Cottage Life. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any article, photograph, or artwork, for other than personal use, in whole or in part, without the written permission of the publisher is strictly forbidden.