The best way to enjoy a tomatoe is with a salt shaker on a swing on an awesome Sonoma County summer day!

this year is my first garden, hence my first time making homemade tomato sauce. I have to say that my homemade tomato sauce is the BEST I ever tasted -- so much better than from a jar!!! I'm going to use every last tomato to make and freeze tomato sauce, so I can experience the taste much longer AND I won't have to buy any!!!

Boring I know -- but exciting to me!

After using the majority of toms in our garden (in every recipe known to man), the best and funnest use of the rottens is a tomato war!
I hide behind the barberry bush, its spiny teeth are a sure deterrent to even the keenest tomato warrior. Coupled with it's red berry camouflage, I can blindside quite a few of the kids! Summer fun...
SPLAT!!!!!

First off, slice and eat them. Then make a Gazpacho, after all, it is summer. And because the season ends so soon, tomato concasse to have the season at your fingertips throughout the year.

I love making a simple caprese salad...marinate the tomatoes in balsamic vinegar and some salt, then toss with chunks of mozzarella cheese, fresh basil and a touch of olive oil. For a twist put salad on top some fresh flat bread

The best thing to do with tomatoes fresh from your backyard is as little as possible! They are so good by themselves, it's a shame to doctor them up as you would a winter tomato. A caprese, BLT, or a raw tomato sauce over angel hair pasta - the last one is what's for dinner tonight!

For a tomato treat try this corn tortilla quesadilla. Heat tortillas on a skillet when you turn them over apply sliced tomatoes, a slim slice of cheese, sliced fresh serrano chili bits (to taste) and 2 slices of salami (optional) to 1/2 of the tortilla. When cheese melts fold the top half over and serve.

As a young girl one of my very first recipes consisted of these few ingredients:

2 slices of sandwich bread (white, wheat or sourdough)
1 large tomato, just picked from my dad's garden
sliced montery jack cheese
mayonaise, salt & pepper

Lightly toast bread slices, rinse, pat dry, slice tomato and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Lightly spread mayo on each slice of bread (optional). Lay 1 slice of tomato followed by one slice of jack cheese, repeating once. Sit down, relax and enjoy the fresh and tasty flavors from this tomato sandwich!!!

Using tomatos would be a great "natural" way to liven up the plain white color of my dog. I have red hair, so I would love to have my dog match me.

:-) or of course there is just the classic tomatoes, Mozzarella, Basil and some Balsamic V. Yummy

Here's another favorite: sprinkle kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, olive oil on tomatoes and bake at 250 for 2 to 2.5 hours. Then smear goat cheese on a baguette, pile it with tomatoes and hold your chin over the plate.

I take a bit of fresh lavender and crush it with a bit of kosher salt in a mortar and pestle. Then I sprinkle it on freshly slices of tomato. Yum!

Simple, delicious, and a great way to use too many zucchini and tomatoes. I've had a lot of these for lunch at work with a good piece of bread.
Slice zukes, then steam lightly; chill. Just before serving: take tomatoes (chopped, sliced, or whole if they're cherries), toss with zukes, crumbled feta or blue cheese (or flavored tofu for vegans) and your favorite vinaigrette. Add a couple of pinches of kosher salt. Be restrained with the dressing. That lets the flavor of the tomatoes shine.

Just this weekend, we sauteed yellow, red, and zebra tomatoes with fresh herbs from the garden, reducing them until the juices were thick and the fruit tender. Then we served over scrambled eggs that had been topped with Greek yogurt and put cilantro on top of all that! YUM!

Oh yummmmmmmm, my mouth is watering at all these amazing ideas!

My fave is our family version of Anna's Po Folk sammy:

Sliced potato bread, slathered with mayo, then stacked w/ thin slices of fresh red onion and thick slices of still-warm-from-the-sun tomato. Grind a little salt across the onion and sprinkle the tomato slices w/ a fine mince of garlic chives, a grind of green pepper and a little more salt. Top the tomato with a leaf or two of crisp home-grown romaine (if you have it) before topping with another slice of mayo coated bread......

Aaaaah - best eaten outside (where you can drip and no one cares) and washed down with an ice cold brew.....

My favorite way to use tomatoes is to cut them into small chunks along with fresh basil, garlic, and jumbo shrimp and mix it all with whole wheat rigatoni.

You just can't beat a real Greek salad: slices of your best tomatoes and cucumbers, a good portion of goat feta, some real Greek olives (there is a whole world beyond Kalamata olives), some sweet red onion, olive oil and salt. Whatever you do, don't contaminate a Greek salad with lettuce!

Sorry about the double post. The website was having a hard time uploading my comment. So much so, it posted it twice (or was that me?). In any event, sorry for the duplicate!

P.S. The last word in my last sentence should have read "temperature".

I like them best just sliced up with a little salt. I also like to make a marinated tomato salad: sliced toms, balsamic vinegar, diced scallions, salt and pepper. Let sit for an hour or so at room temperate.

I like them best just sliced up with a little salt. I also like to make a marinated tomato salad: sliced toms, balsamic vinegar, diced scallions, salt and pepper. Let sit for an hour or so at room temperate.

Sun Gold Tomato Gazpacho via Deborah Madison’s Local Flavors
Love this gazpacho, the sweetness of the sun gold w/vinegar and hot chilis is a burst of flavors in your mouth! Try this recipe with sweet cherry tomatoes and basil, amazing!

I volunteered at the Tomato Festival several years ago and I tasted everyone of those tomatoes and the “Brandywine” was my hands down favorite, all styles & colors, of all the tomatoes. What a fun event!

Pico de Gallo with fresh tortilla chips. Yum!

I've been making roasted salsa with the heirlooms & cherry tomatoes from my garden every weekend. Roast the tomatoes, jalapeno, onions, and garlic until everything is nice and charred and then blend with lime juice, cilantro, salt, pepper, cumin, and brown sugar. It's the absolute best!

I think making caprese is the best way, slice up the tomatoes, mozzarella and basil, drizzle olive oil and salt and pepper. Baking the tomatoes is also delicious.

Here is a recipie for a tomato facial mask:

Chop one large heirloom tomato and combine in a food processor or blender with a dash of lemon juice, olive oil and 1 tbsp. oatmeal. Blend until it makes a smooth paste. Apply the tomato facial on clean face and neck, leaving on for 10 minutes. Gently remove with a warm washcloth and rinse skin with warm water to remove all residue. This facial will leave your skin bright, stimulated and refreshed!

Tomatoes contain large amounts of vitamins and minerals, such as A, C, E, iron and potassium, which help to nourish your skin. Tomatoes also provide an astringent effect on the skin to help remove excess oil and refine the pores. Great for men and women alike!

Tomato Confit

Make and "X" with a knife at each end of the tomato. Drop in some salted boiling water just until the the skins start to peel back at your "X" mark.

Pull them out, peel off the skin and remove seeds and core.

Lay your tomato petals on a baking sheet and drizzle with some olive oil, salt pepper and herbs. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until they smell to good to resist.

Pull the out and save them for many uses. Great on grilled cheese!

Bacon, lettuce, tomato, cream cheese, avocado sandwich. A little mayo. Toasting optional.

-or-
layer chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper, balsamic, olive oil in a jam jar and take to work for lunch. Coworkers will be jealous.

The BLT is supreme.
I like it on lightly toasted sourdough with mayo, thin crispy bacon, chopped basil, shredded lettuce and thick slices of tomato.

SALT . . . and eatting them over the kitchen sink.

I love a tomato galette! You can make your own with a store bought dough and add plenty of tomatoes on top and bake then voila, you have the tomato galette to savor. Delicious!

Pico de gallo - Filipino style:
Sliced tomatoes, add chopped onions, or green onions, chopped garlic, diced mangoes, fish sauce, or sea salt to taste,
Another option is to add sliced salted hard boiled eggs instead of mangoes available in Asian grocery stores. OR if you prefer, cook your own hard boiled eggs sliced and add sea salt. Voila! Serve with your favorite seafood or barbeque and rice, Yum!

Breakfast is the important meal of the day. I love tomatoes with my scrambled eggs. Saute sliced onions, chopped garlic-lots and sliced tomatoes until mushy then add the eggs, add salt or fish sauce to taste and a dash of freshly cracked peppers. So good. I'm getting hungry.

Marinated Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
Slice heirloom tomatoes into 1-½ inch rounds (or halves depending on tomato size)
Coat the bottom of a glass baking dish with olive oil
Place tomato rounds in the oiled baking dish in a single layer (tomato slices can be touching as the will shirk during roasting.)
Brush the tops of the tomatoes with olive oil
Place pan in a preheated 200 degree oven
Bake 6 to 8 hour or until tomatoes are reduced in size but will retain their shape
Remove from oven
Layer the tomatoes in a jar or pan. Start with a layer of tomatoes. Sprinkle layer with diced garlic and cover with olive oil. Continue layering until pan or jar is full. On your final layer add enough olive oil to cover. (The oil will seal the tomatoes to make them longer lasting) Store in the refrigerator.

Any olive oil that remains after you eat the tomatoes can be used in a variety of ways

My boyfriend likes them just like this.

I like them this way

White Bean Salad
White beans
Basil from the garden
Chopped sweet yellow onion
Marinated Slow-Roasted Tomatoes -chopped
Mix the above ingredients and toss with the olive oil from the tomatoes.

Bite into that sucker whole just like you would do with an apple! As a little kid, I used to suck out all the seeds and juice, then munch down the whole thing!

Farmer's Market Bruschetta: Hubba Bubba or Brandywine heirlooms, garlic, baby torpedo onions and basil, all chopped and mixed with olive oil, salt, fresh cracked pepper and a squirt of balsamic or red wine vinegar. Let it stand for an hour!

Paint some olive oil on slices of fresh baguette, into the toaster or broiler till browned.

Heap piles of tomatoes (with juices) onto toast and manga!

It's all homemade gazpacho with fresh homegrown tomatoes. The mix of a later summer's heat cooled with a batch of fresh gazpacho is close to perfection.

The best tomatoes around come from my own garden in dry creek valley. You can purchase them at the Healdsburg Farmers market. See you all on Saturday, 9-12 behind the Bear.

I think that combination of heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil are the best. The only missing ingredient seems to be a lovely glass of KJ wine, red or white.

HEIRLOOM BLOODY MARY
3 large Heirloom tomatoes
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 Onion small, chopped
2 Jalapeno pepper, chopped
6 Garlic cloves, chopped
¼ cup Celery leaves
1 Lemon Juiced
4 tbsp Horseradish
To taste Kosher salt, black pepper
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 tsp Celery Seed

1. In a sauce pan sweat onions, garlic and jalapeno for a few minutes, add tomatoes and continue to cook to release tomato juices. Reduce flame and continue to cook over medium heat until tomatoes are almost dry.

2. Add lemon juice, horseradish, Worcestershire, celery seed and celery leaves. Place in blender and puree. Chill and reserve, adjust seasoning once chilled.

3. To make cocktail mix 2 oz of vodka, 5 oz of heirloom Mary mix and shake with ice, serve and garnish as you wish

This is my excuse to drink before noon! Haha !!!

Nothing more heavenly this time of year than a perfect BLT with thick slice of toasted SoCo pugliese or other local bread slathered with the best mayo, topped with thick heirloom slices, thick crispy bacon and a ruffle of organic lettuce.

I am not a good cook, but how about heirloom tomato preserves (like jam) with a touch of jalepeno? Wouldn't that be good to spread on crackers or sourdough with cheese and a good bottle of wine?

Sliced heirloom tomatoes, chopped basil, olive oil, and pain brié

Easy Caprese

1. Cut tomato into ¼ inch slices
2. Do the same to some fresh mozzarella
3. Stack together & top with a fresh basil leaf
4. Drizzle with olive oil & aged balsamic Mmmmmm...

OR

Take a fresh tomato ad a dash of salt and enjoy

Blue Cheese and bread crumb stuffed tomatoes.

Delicious, nutritious and oh so easy!

Serves 2

What you'll need:
2 Extra large tomatoes
Slice out the stems and cut a hole in the top of each tomato(similar to a sourdough bread bowl shape)
Fill the hole with a dash of salt and pepper, crumbled blue cheese and bread crumbs

Fire up one side of the grill and place stuffed tomatoes on the unfired side for 10-12 minutes.

Voila! Get out the steak knife cause this baby is a meal in itself!

Cheers to another great tomato growing season!
Michelle

Slice one of those beauties in half, and shave a bit from the bottom of the half so that it sits face up, level.

Drop it on the grill and top it off with a dollop of puree that I make from sauteing an onion, a rehydrated pepper of your choice (pasillas and anchos are good choices), garlic, oregano, salt & pepper, and a packet of red pepper flakes (the kind most pizza parlours offer). Cook until the onion is translucent, then use a food processor to blend this mixture until smooth. Top the tomato half with some of this, and let it cook 15-20 minutes on your grill until tender.

Mozzarella & Tomato pie: store bought frozen pie crust, fresh mozarella, basil, slice tomatos, sprinkle with salt allowing most of the moisture drain off. Roll out thawed pie crust, lay on flat baking sheet, ladder sliced tomoato's basil leaves and mozzarella in a circular pattern, fold edges of pie crust over tomato's on outer edge, sprinkle with olive oil, black pepper, red pepper flakes and drizzle with balsamic fig vinegar, bake about 20-25 minutes until cheese is just starting to brown.....lovely with a nice cool glass of sauvignon blanc!

Tomato water cocktail! I hated throwing out the seeds and water when I was making tomato sauce, so instead of tossing them I put the seeds into a cheese-cloth lined strainer over a bowl and leave in fridge to collect the tomato water. You may have to muddle the seeds a bit to release some of the water before placing in the cheese cloth depending on the tomato used.

Recipe - Clear Bloody Mary
1 part tomato water
2 parts citron vodka
1 to ? slices of jalapeno depending on level of spice desired
2 or 3 celery leaves
smoked sea salt
pearl onion
favorite bloody mary garnish

Lightly (LIGHTLY) muddle jalapeno and celery leaves, add tomato water, vodka and ice, stir and strain into smoked sea salt rimmed martini glass. Garnish with the pearl onion, your favorite Bloody Mary garnish and/or a lemon wedge. Modify as you want. Like basil? Add it. Have celery salt instead of smoked sea salt? Awesome! Want a little more kick from a shot of Tabasco? Works for you! Oh, I'm totally drooling right now.

Grew up with a Southern Mama and Grandma, nothing better than a "Po' White Trash" sandwich!

Two slices thick WHITE bread, none of this healthy wheat stuff. You want a bread that is soft and spongy. I tend to aim for Wonder.

Mayo.

Heirloom Tomatoes, grown from your yard, just picked that morning

Salt and pepper

You know the sandwich is right when you have to eat it over the sink with your elbows out to prevent the juice from dripping all over you. To me, that is Summer.

Grew up with a Southern Mama and Grandma, nothing better than a "Po' White Trash" sandwich!

Two slices thick WHITE bread, none of this healthy wheat stuff. You want a bread that is soft and spongy. I tend to aim for Wonder.

Mayo.

Heirloom Tomatoes, grown from your yard, just picked that morning

Salt and pepper

You know the sandwich is right when you have to eat it over the sink with your elbows out to prevent the juice from dripping all over you. To me, that is Summer.

Grew up with a Southern Mama and Grandma, nothing better than a "Po' White Trash" sandwich!

Two slices thick WHITE bread, none of this healthy wheat stuff. You want a bread that is soft and spongy. I tend to aim for Wonder.

Mayo.

Heirloom Tomatoes, grown from your yard, just picked that morning

Salt and pepper

You know the sandwich is right when you have to eat it over the sink with your elbows out to prevent the juice from dripping all over you. To me, that is Summer.

I agree with caprese - It does not get better than motzarella, basil, and a drizzle of e.v.o. and balsamic. But maybe the best thing you can do with a bumper crop of tomatoes is to put some into a paper bag, yell over to the neighbor's yard, and hand the bag over the fence so that they can enjoy some too.

Sliced tomatoe, sliced avocado, sea salt and cracked pepper whilst watching a Giants game...

My grampa's homemade ratatouille is the BEST! And it uses a little more than a dozen tomatoes.

Saute 2 large chunked onions, 4 - 6 sliced cloves garlic, and 4 - 6 chunked green peppers in 4 T oil. Then add 2 c. bite sized green beans pieces, 4 c. squash (1/2 zucchini and 1/2 crook neck), 3 ears of corn in 1-2" slices, 1 c. corn cut off the cob, 10 peeled and chunked tomatoes, 1 tsp. seasoning sale, 1/2 c. thickly sliced mushrooms (optional: add 1 med. chunked eggplant) - simmer until tender. When almost done, add 4 more chunked tomatoes.

Makes large kettle. Serve with parmesan cheese, sour cream and ranch dressing to taste.

Heavenly on the patio on a warm fall evening, with chunky sourdough seeded bread to dip...ahhhh!

I freeze leftover tomatoes and throw them into my winter soups to thicken them up and offer fabulous flavor!

Sliced ciabatta with mayo, thick sliced bacon and juicy thick sliced beefsteaks !!! Yummmmm!!!

Tomato jam or jelly -- my grandmother hooked me on this novel taste treat.

Make a huge batch of tomato soup and freeze it. When cooking, add a little of your favorite chili pepper to warm up your taste buds when you pull it out of the freezer in the middle of winter.

Good suggestion GarlicCrouton. I've missed you!

There is nothing I like better than a succulent ripe heirloom tomato (pick one? I can't!) with fresh mozzarella, basil and balsamic vinegar. YUMMY!

Oh my. I'm cutting some basil right now, and looking for that yummy tomatoe.

Put them in a pan (quarter big ones, cherry ones can go in whole), drizzle them with olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt and a little pepper. Roast until soft and skins begin to blacken. You'll have a pan full of lovely tomato juice and roasted flesh. Use instead of canned tomatoes as a base for pasta sauces, Mexican rice, or fideo. Freezes well too!

Mom's Fideo
In a molcajete or using a mortar and pestle, grind into paste 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp cumin seeds, a little chunk of onion, a scant handful of peppercorns, and the tomato chunks from about 8oz. of the roasted juice/tomato mixture (reserve juice).
Saute 1 bag of fideo noodles in oil until lightly toasted. Pour in the tomato mix, plus the reserved juice. Add enough water to cover the noodles, plus 1/2-1 tsp. of chicken bullion, if desired.
Simmer 15-20 minutes until liquid is absorbed and enjoy!

Same tomato paste mix makes great Mexican rice.

I have about 10 heirloom tomato plants.When I get so many tomatos and can't eat then all I will chop them all up with peppers,onions,and basil from the garden in a food processer and can about 20qt jars, And Bam!
you got the best tomato sauce all year for spaghetti,
barley soup stews what ever you use tomato sauce for.
great in gumbo.

I take a couple of large beefstakes, hollow them out, mix the internal goods with risotto, cheese, and Italian spices, place the mix back in the beefies, and bake for about 45 minutes, and presto, stuffed baked tomatoes with cheesy risotto. Nice!

Gazpacho! Heirloom tomato gazpacho with a drizzle of basil infused olive oil! It is the best! Serve with crusty bread and brie! Fantastic!

We made pizza sauce last night using our tomatos from our withered plants and it was a rival for Rosso's pizza.

My favorite tomato salad and it's really easy. Cut up all kinds of tomatoes in chunks. Add sliced lemon cuccumber, sliced red onion, corn off the cob, basil, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt & pepper. Make sure to serve yourself a big portion because it will be gone before you know it!

love them cut in wedges, room tempature with just a dash of salt.

I love to take slices of juicy heirlooms and put them on crisp rye crackers along with smoked cheddar or smoked mozzarella, thinly sliced english cucumber and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. If using smoked mozzarella, some thinly sliced basil goes nicely as well. Perfect afternoon snack.

Take a couple of big tomatoes (and frankly, good beefsteaks work well here). Hollow them out a bit, then fill with fresh corn sauteed with a little red onion. Dress with a combination of goat cheese and buttermilk, lots of salt and pepper.

What you don't make traditional tomato wine at your house?

Here is the recipe:
http://scorpius.spaceports.com/~goodwine/tomatowine.htm

I like to rub my hands in fresh basil leaves and eat the tomatoes right in the garden warm from the sun.

My best receipt is to visit Doce Lunas. Kenwood, for Fried Green Tomatoes.