15 Surprising Ways to Use Up Your Heirloom Tomatoes

Biting into a big, juicy tomato, lightly sprinkled with salt, is a toe-curling summer pleasure that’s hard to beat. Whether cherry, grape, or jumbo, peak-season tomatoes are irresistible. We like adding them to summer casseroles and Mediterranean recipes, where they play off more savory flavors. And you can’t go wrong with dinner-party-worthy personal hasselback caprese salads (yes, you read that right). Make all of your favorite tomato-based dishes better by opting for heirloom varieties — these 15 recipes boast a range of colors and sweet-tart flavors that can make a boring dish into something you’ll wind up feverishly Instagramming the second it’s served.

Heirloom Tomato and Vegetable Grain Bowls

With so much produce in season, even simple meals taste great. Pile a bevy of veggies into a bowl of grains and greens, then top everything off with a basil vinaigrette and some tangy feta. (via Spices in my DNA)

Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes With Cod and Chorizo

Inspired by sunny Spain, this dish is bursting with flavor. The roasted vegetables are equal parts sweet and savory, and chorizo adds a hint of smoke while the cod gets light and flaky. (via Eat Love Eats)

Burrata Caprese Waffles

Waffles as a food trend are probably the best thing to happen in the past decade (sorry, kale). Here, they’re paired with burrata, heirloom tomatoes, basil, and balsamic, for a dish that works pretty much any time of day. (via Kale and Caramel)

Heirloom Tomato, Prosciutto, and Pesto Salad

When salads are composed like this work of art, it’s easy to make them the star of your dinner table. Top everything off with pesto and a scattering of hemp hearts for extra color and texture. (via Cook Primal Gourmet)

Heirloom Tomato, Pesto, and Burrata Pizza

Make a simple pizza more colorful by opting for a lycopene-rich rainbow of red, yellow, and orange. Add in some creamy burrata and fragrant basil for a meal that’s better than anything you could get delivered. (via Spices in my DNA)

Baked Parmesan Basil Heirloom Tomatoes

Parmesan, slightly browned at the edges, brings big flavor to this simple dish. Pair with pasta or your favorite grain for a wholesome meal. (via Eazy Peazy Mealz)

Summer Salad With Herbed Ricotta

Summer veggies (including a serrano pepper for spice) are piled into the bowl along with a balsamic vinaigrette and the ricotta. (via Jo Cooks)

Grain-Free Heirloom Tomato Galette

Easier than making a pizza, this free-form galette holds in every bit of flavor from a pile of juicy heirloom tomatoes. The crust is surprisingly flaky and light, even though it uses almond flour and arrowroot starch instead of traditional wheat flour. (via Wife Mama Foodie)

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Protein is important for any balanced diet, especially when you need to replenish after a day of running around and being active in the sun. This quinoa salad has it in spades, both from the grain itself and feta cheese (not to mention the nutrients that come with the rainbow of veggies that are mixed in). (via IFOODBLOGGER)

Mini Stuffed Heirloom Tomatoes

These heirloom tomatoes are baked, then stuffed with a mixture of spiced pork and aromatics for a doubly satisfying dinner. (via La Petite Californienne)

Heirloom Tomato Tart

This tasty tart is similar to a quiche, but with a little more heft, making it a fun choice for dinner time. The combination of slow-roasted vegetables and creamy, tangy goat cheese will make it hard not to eat the whole thing in one go. (via Natural Girl Modern World)

Pesto Chicken With Velvety Tomato Sauce

Grab a crusty loaf of bread before you start cooking up this recipe — you’ll need it to soak up every bit of the smooth and savory pan sauce. It coats each mouthful of this chicken dish, and best of all, the whole dish is made in one skillet for easy clean up. (via IFOODBLOGGER)

Roasted Cherry Tomato and Burrata Pasta

Even without meat, this vegetarian pasta dish is packed with flavor. That’s thanks to roasted heirloom cherry tomatoes and a few balls of burrata, which combine with the tangles of spaghetti so you get a bit of creaminess and a hint of sweet roasted flavors in each bite. (via The Baking Fairy)

Heirloom Tomato Panzanella Salad

When the sun is really beating down outside, seek refuge in the shade with this no-cook meal. It’s made from leftover bread (grill it for extra flavor), ripe tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, and a piquant red wine vinaigrette. (via I Just Make Sandwiches)

5.

: Turn your favorite sandwich into a hearty dinner salad by swapping out the bread for some fresh greens. Load on the chicken, bacon, and avocado, along with the classic BLT trio for a healthy-ish meal you’ll gobble right down. (via The Girl on Bloor)