5 tomato recipes to celebrate harvest season

Let the season linger

Is anyone surprised that tomatoes are the world's most popular fruit? Farmers and gardeners alike grow them more than any other fruit or vegetable, and few ingredients show up more consistently in the recipes of cultures around the globe.

It's not hard to see why: From sauces and salsas to soups, salads, and appetizers, tomatoes are incredibly versatile, complementing a wide variety of foods and flavors.

Organic tomatoes are especially nutritionally potent, delivering vitamin C, vitamin K manganese, beta-carotene, and fiber. Canned tomatoes shouldn't be shunned, either: Heat from the canning process doubles their lycopene content—a carotenoid that may help prevent prostate and breast cancer.

During Muir Glen Organic's harvest event last August, I relished the chance to bite into juicy, vine-ripened tomatoes picked fresh from the fields at D.A. Rominger & Sons in the heart of California's Sacramento Valley—one of eight certified organic farms Muir Glen uses to produce their delicious canned tomatoes.

Learn how to use your own late-summer harvest of heirlooms in tasty new ways with these recipes from Muir Glen's kitchen, tested and savored in our own.

Take a look!

Tomato and Strawberry Bruschetta

If you'd like a more golden-brown baguette slice, simply brush with olive oil before toasting and rub with a garlic clove as the bread comes out of the oven. When tomatoes aren't in season, substitute a 14-ounce can of organic fire-roasted tomatoes, drained and patted dry.

Get the recipe

Tinga Poblana Tostadas

A festival of texture, color, and taste. Customize with your favorite fresh toppings. We suggest pickled red onions!

Get the recipe

Tomato & Goat Cheese Galette

Some tomato types retain their juices when cut, so you may have to cook the filling a little longer to reduce excess liquid. When fresh tomatoes aren't available, substitute a 28-ounce can of organic whole tomatoes. For a variation, try feta or ricotta cheese in place of the chévre (goat cheese).

Get the recipe

Ribollita

This Tuscan bread-and-veggie soup is hearty comfort food at its best. To make this recipe gluten free, simply leave out the bread or use GF bread. Feel free to swap out the carrots and kale for cabbage, beet greens, spinach, or whatever other veggies you have on hand.

Get the recipe

Caprese Martini

This recipe was created by Nick Kosevich of Bittercube, an artisan bitters and cocktail company based in Milwaukee. Fire-roasted tomato water is simply the liquid from a drained can of fire-roasted tomatoes. Cocchi Americano is a trendy Italian aperitif that you can find at most liquor stores.

Get the recipe