1. grilled tomatoes, eggplant, and radicchio with quinoa
Serves 6 / This hearty vegetarian dish is full of late-summer flavors: ripe tomatoes, aromatic basil, and the smoke of the grill. Prep tip: “Chiffonade” means cut into ribbons. Simply stack dry basil leaves, roll up tightly lengthwise, and then cut crosswise into thin strips. View recipe.
2. grilled tomatoes stuffed with goat cheese
Serves 4 / A stunning side dish. Look for fresh local chèvre (soft goat cheese), or experiment with the many types available in stores. Tomatoes are known for their phytochemical content, especially the antioxidant lycopene. View recipe.
3. Pizza with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Goat Cheese, and Marjoram or Oregano Flowers
Makes 2 / Marjoram and oregano both belong to the genus Origanum; their flowers taste similar and can be used interchangeably. The flowers of both herbs, like their leaves, are spicy with a sweet perfume. View recipe.
4. Mussels with Tomatoes in Garlic-Basil Sauce
If you long for a taste of the sea, try this festive medley. The mussels, combined with fresh vegetables and spices, bring a refreshing slice of summer to the midst of winter. Soak up this dish's savory juices with your favorite crusty bread. View recipe.
5. Indian-Seasoned Tofu with Tomatoes
Serves 4 / Prep tip: Stir in baby spinach leaves at the end of cooking for extra nutrition. Serving tip: Balance the spice with a scoop of plain yogurt on top. View recipe.
6. Lemon Chicken Paillard with Oven-Roasted Tomatoes
Serves 4 / For extra flavor, squeeze fresh lemon juice over the paillards before topping with tomatoes. View recipe.
7. Roasted Black Cod with Rustic Romesco
Serves 4 / This simple version of Romesco sauce goes well with any white-fleshed fish. Here, the acidity of the tomatoes and the subtle heat of smoked paprika provide a delicious foil for the richness of black cod. Prep tip: For flavor variation, substitute hazelnuts or blanched almonds for the pine nuts
8. Fresh Tomato Tart
Serves 10 / Ripe, end-of-summer tomatoes are an essential part of this dish. Add a salad of field greens and dinner is served. View recipe.
9. Fresh Tomato Sauce
Serves 6 / Serving tips: Toss this versatile, slightly spicy sauce over al dente pasta or steamed vegetables; garnish with top-quality Parmesan cheese. Or thicken with tomato paste and use as pizza sauce. View recipe.
10. cherry tomato marinara with zucchini noodles
Serves 6 / This delicious, easy marinara sauce takes less than a minute to make; use it as you would any marinara. Prep tip: If possible, use a spiral slicer to make your own zucchini pasta. View recipe.
11. Cherry Tomato Bruschetta
Serves 8 / In September there’s no such thing as too many tomatoes. Here’s a little switch for bruschetta: You don’t have to chop the tomatoes. Provide small dishes so each diner has his or her own olive-oil mixture for dipping. View recipe.
12. Peach and Tomato Salad
Serves 6–8 / I love these two fruits combined, and they ripen in tandem only a month or so out of the whole year. I use multiple colors of heirloom tomatoes, including yellow tomatoes, to playfully confuse the eye because they are the same color as the peaches. Any combination will be delicious as long as the fruit is juicy ripe. It looks like tomato salad, but the peach is the surprise that everybody loves. View recipe.
13. Eggplant and Tomato Crisp
Serves 8 / A fresh-tasting and nutritious side dish with a light but delicious crust. Cooking tip: If you like more crumble on your crisps, simply double the topping recipe. View recipe.
14. Grilled Eggplant, Tomato, and Mozzarella Salad
Serves 4-6 / Bright green basil vinaigrette offers a surprising burst of color and flavor to this late-summer favorite. View recipe.
15. Spinach, Basil, and Tomato Frittatas
Serves 4–8 / Pack with: frozen grapes (to keep the frittata cool). Drink: a bottle of cranberry, pomegranate, or açai juice. Prep tip: If you're making these for picky eaters, combine eggs, milk, salt, and pepper separately; add vegetables or cheese individually to each ramekin or muffin cup, then pour egg mixture over the top. View recipe.
16. Crostini With Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Feta Cheese
Makes 12 / These "little toasts" make an easy and elegant appetizer. Arrange around a beautiful bunch of grapes on a festive platter. View recipe.
17. Whole-Grain Couscous with Corn, Tomato, and Avocado
Serves 6–8 / If you can boil water and have five minutes, you can make couscous. The students make this recipe at their desks by layering the ingredients in a mason jar; it’s that easy. View recipe.
18. Grilled Medallions of Ono on a Summer Tomato Salad
Serves 4 This recipe, created by chef Doug Lum of Joe's Bar & Grill, Maui, captures the flavors of summer, pairing teardrop tomatoes and fresh basil with the distinctive, citrusy flavor of ono. View recipe.
19. chilled summer gazpacho
Serves 4 / This classic summertime soup requires no cooking. The garden-fresh vegetables provide abundant antioxidants. View recipe.
20. Tomato, Mozzarella, and Zucchini Pizza | vegetarian sausage pizza
Serves 4 (makes one 9-inch pizza) / I like to call the squash mixture “squasage”—first, because I can’t resist a pun, and second, because using the flavor profile of Italian sausage on grated zucchini serves the desire for meat without the need to actually eat it. View recipe.
