18 Recipes That Allow the Season's Freshest Tomatoes to Shine (2024)

Do you wait all year for local tomatoes? Maybe you grow some yourself on the patio or in raised beds, or do you prefer to shop early at the farm stand to score the best specimens? Whether homegrown or store-bought, fresh tomatoes are the star of summer meals.

And they are worth waiting for. Tomatoes are at their most flavorful in summer, and whether you tend to reach for a simple sandwich of sliced tomatoes with mayonnaise and salt on your favorite bread or a Caprese salad, know that there are an endless number of ways to enjoy fresh tomatoes when the time is just right. The recipes gathered here use beefsteaks, co*cktail tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and other small to medium-sized tomatoes, not the heirloom varieties.

Tomatoes star in simple weeknight pastas that keep cooking to a minimum, which is exactly what you want when the weather turns warm. They're paired with their summer friends corn and zucchini in a savory slab pie that's a worthy vegetarian entrée and perfect picnic food. Can't get enough of the tomato, corn, and zucchini mix? You'll find it again in a hearty, colorful grain salad. You'll also find these red fruits—yes, fruits— in salads with beets and a simple all-tomato salad where lemon zest and olives accentuate the juicy sweetness of the sliced fruits.

When shopping for tomatoes, remember that they often don't travel well and the best-tasting tomatoes are grown locally. Look for ones that yield slightly to pressure and are fragrant and heavy for their size. The skin should be smooth, brightly colored, and free of blemishes. Keep tomatoes at room temperature. Don't refrigerate them unless you have a cut tomato you didn't use up, as it will affect their flavor.

But most importantly, remember to enjoy fresh tomatoes while they're at their peak. These summer recipes will ensure you do just that.