Nothing brings joy to our hearts like the moment when we spy the first fruit of the summer vine! That means the beginning of tomato season at the farmer’s market. These fresh, ripe beauties are a juicy reminder that the ones in grocery stores in the winter are but a pale imitation. Celebrate the season with recipes from multiple James Beard Award winner Cheryl Alters Jamison.
Tomatoes, the Fruit of the Summer Vine
“Late summer tomatoes, from the garden or farmers market, are among the season’s most seductive fruits. The fling is fleeting, though, so I take advantage of them for virtually every meal during the month or so that they are at their peak. I love them all, from Brandywine to Cherokee Purple, German Striped to Green Zebra, and even the teeny Sun Gold and Sweet 100, great for popping straight into my mouth. Enjoy these simple recipes, too, using them at their flavorful peak.”
Garden-Fresh Caprese Bloody Mary
Uber-garnishing Bloody Marys has been all the rage for years now. It’s fun and festive, and can be tasty, too. It’s particularly fitting to put a little effort into festooning the quintessential brunch cocktail when you’re starting with your own tomato juice from the season’s best fruits. For this version’s best-dressed look, we take inspiration from the classic Italian Caprese salad.
Gazpacho
Few things are more refreshing on a hot summer night than Gazpacho, Spain’s brilliant cold soup. You don’t have to heat a thing. All that’s required is a quick blitz in the blender for some crimson tomatoes and a few supporting players, a couple of hours of flavor-blending alchemy in the fridge, and dinner is ready.
Tomato Pie
Tomato Pie, a Southern summer staple, is usually made in a pie shell filled with a layer of tomatoes buried under a topping of mayonnaise and cheese. We mix it up a bit, using a thinner flakier puff pastry for the base, then add the mayo mixture, and finally, top it with the star ingredient to salivate over the tomatoes’ beautiful shapes and colors. You will want the highest quality vine-ripened tomatoes for this, from a farmstand, farmers market, or your own.
Baked Tomatoes
Fine fat orbs of heirloom tomatoes are perfect for this baked dish. Hollowed out and then stuffed, they look especially jaunty with their jack-o-lantern style lids. We fill these beauties with a Mexican-inspired mix of rice and fideos (vermicelli), and other lively flavorings.
BLT Pasta
The BLT may just be the best summer sandwich ever created. The cool and warm crunch, and melding of flavors — of smoke, sweet, and tang — keeps us coming back for more all summer long. That combo inspired this decadent spaghetti dish, taking advantage of those same tastes and textures in a slightly different package.
Story by Cheryl Alters Jamison
Styling by Julia Platt Leonard
Food Photography by Tira Howard
Featured Photo by Odiseo Castrejon
Subscribe to TABLE Magazine‘s print edition.
