There is an upside to the record-breaking heat that Oregon has experienced this year: Tomato season is arriving ahead of schedule, and Portland-area farmers markets are now seeing the first wave of this summer's crop. Once you've sliced tomato wedges for green salads, you may be on the prowl for more ways of using them. Here are 15 of our favorite tomato recipes.
Tomato Salad With Balsamic Dressing: When tomatoes are at the height of their season, there is no side dish that is more welcome and easy to make than a platter of them, sliced especially beautiful in a mixture of colors. With this salad, arugula adds a peppery note and onions offer a little bite of their own. The maple syrup in the dressing is a counterpoint to the tomatoes' acidity. Serve with a non-sweet dish, such as pasta.
All-Day Roasted Tomatoes: These tomatoes can be used in all manner of dishes, sauces, sandwiches, salads, etc. Four pounds of tomatoes fills up a large baking sheet; feel free to double, too, to take advantage of the season. These tomatoes are delicious tossed with pasta or served with bruschetta.
California Gazpacho: There's a reason we often share this vegan gazpacho from California chef Ann Gentry: It's our favorite variation of the traditional Spanish chilled soup. The additions of sweet corn kernels and garnishes of toasted pine nuts and sliced avocado make it filling and refreshing at the same time. The result is a perfect gazpacho that is brisk on the palate the day it's made, and a little mellower on the second.
All-purpose Tomato Paste: This is a great way to concentrate excess ripe tomatoes of any variety into a small storage space. After oven drying, store the tomato paste in the freezer to use for pizza, stew, sauce and as a base for cream of tomato soup. Come November and December, you'll be glad you captured summer's flavor.
Summer Pasta Salad: The beauty of this vegan pasta salad is that it can be freely adapted using any fresh vegetables you happen to have on hand, though it's perfection with summer tomatoes. Add the dressing to the pasta while it's warm so that it absorbs the fresh mint and lemon flavors. Because it's portable, this is a great salad for picnics or to toss in the cooler for a road trip.
Grilled Tomatoes With Burrata: This will become your go-to appetizer of summer. It is delicious and luxurious, but simple to make. The hardest thing about this recipe is making sure that the cherry tomatoes don't fall off the vine! Can't find burrata? Substitute a large ball of fresh mozzarella.
Fusilli With Tomato, Basil and Artichoke Sauce: This uncooked tomato sauce demands the freshest tomatoes you can get. If it's not tomato season, don't even think about making this sauce. It just won't be the same.
Slow Cooker Tomato Sauce: Cooking the tomatoes with carrots, onion and celery gives the sauce vegetable notes that make it perfect for turning into more than just a topping for pasta. Dilute the sauce with a vegetable broth, some good olive oil and a dash of sherry vinegar and serve it as gazpacho. Or create a zingy co*cktail sauce by adding some horseradish and lemon juice.
Grilled Shrimp and Corn Salad With Jalapeno-Tomato Salsa: It's corn season, too, and this salad showcases it with a zippy salsa. The salsa is good enough to make a double batch, so you'll have some on hand to enjoy with tortilla chips later in the week.
Spicy-Sweet Tomato Jam: This jam makes a great addition to grilled cheese sandwiches, but it's also a great emulsifying agent for salad dressings or marinades.
Tomato Achar: This Nepalese chutney is a perfect condiment for steamed rice and sauteed veggies, though it's also delicious over roasted potatoes.
Cherry Tomato Salad With Feta, Mint and Tangy Peppers: While larger tomatoes get most of the attention during the peak of the season, it's also prime-time for cherry tomatoes, which can be so sweet this time of year that they're like candy. This salad showcases that with mint.
Fattoush: This Middle Eastern salad features crispy pita bread triangles, cucumbers and the best tomatoes you can get your hands on.
Cheese-Stuffed Tomatoes: Put tomatoes at the center of your dinner plate with this hearty main dish. The recipe calls for Monterrey Jack, but can be used with other types of cheese as well.
Late Summer Tomato and Roasted Pepper Salad: Since tomatoes are the primary focus, use this recipe with only the most-flavorful ones you find at the farmers market. Heirloom varieties work particularly well with this recipe.
-- Grant Butler
gbutler@oregonian.com
503-221-8566; @grantbutler
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