Morning tomato harvest is the best time for picking vegetables and flowers! We typically have tomatoes, sweet peppers and squashes during the summer.
The bounty of our tomatoes means lots of fresh delicious salads and sandwiches! Meg and Jim pluck them off on her way out the fence for a quick healthy snack.
The best time to pick is morning before the heat sets in!
I’ll put some in the freezer just like I did when we lived in China.
The frozen ones through out the year will be for salsa and sauces. I don’t want any to go to waste! Freezing is easy and quick. I did it routinely in China. The fresh produce offerings were very seasonal. No, I did not can. I still don’t can.
Today, I am sharing a round up of garden fresh recipes.
Here are a few favorites.
Above is the classic caprese salad tomatoes layered with yellow sweet peppers and sliced mozzarella. Love these bright colors. It looks so good and is so good! I used an old standby dressing, Italian made from Good Seasonings mix.
Classic BLT’s….worth the effort to fry or bake the bacon. For a twist, add avocado slices.
Make the dish pretty
Need a dolled up dish for a gathering? Skewer tomatoes, mozzarella balls and fresh basil leaves. Arrange on a white platter and drizzle with balsamic glaze.
Is brushetta is one of those things that seems beyond your scope? Nothing could be further from the truth. Can you make toast and chop vegetables?
Impress your family and guests!
Chop fresh tomatoes into small pieces. Tossing with salt, pepper and a very small amount of extra virgin olive oil. Fresh chopped basil used sparingly is a taste treat! Optional adds are Italian seasonings and small amount of balsamic vinegar.
Toast thin slices of “loaf” bread brushed with butter or extra virgin olive oil. My choices are Italian or French.
Arrange on a pretty platter. Serve tomatoes in a charming dish. Adding those touches are like serving up a little love and extra special treatment!
A light quick easy meal for those hot days of summer! Grill or quick sauté boneless chicken tenders seasoned lightly with garlic. Layer these yummy ingredients; sliced avocado, crumbled feta cheese, lettuce, cucumbers, colorful fresh peppers and fresh tomatoes! Dress with vinaigrette. Details HERE.
shrimp primavera
Go here for our Shrimp Primavera recipe! I make this family favorite with fresh (or frozen in winter) tomatoes and green peppers from our garden.
Classic simple tomato sauce served with pasta.
saute for pop of flavor
For a pop of taste, toss a few tomatoes sliced or chopped in pan drippings or olive oil. Seasoning optional. Served here with shrimp, asparagus and rice. These gently sautéed tomatoes are also delicious with steak.
Finishing up where we started…
Traditional Greek Salad
Feta Cheese, Tomatoes, Cucumbers with vinaigrette arranged on a beautiful white platter.
Arranging this salad on a platter makes it like a special dish for the holiday.
The possibilities are endless!
Hope this gives you some fresh ideas you and your family will enjoy.
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I’m not a huge tomato fan, but when they are fresh from the garden, that’s a different story. Of course you can’t beat a good BLT.
I have no room for tomatoes or peppers in my yard and I would love to grow some. These all looks so good. I would love to make my own salsa.
Fresh salsa is so good. Even with a garden I still buy produce at the grocery store and our great local farm stands.
These all look so so good!!
Nothing like garden fresh tomatoes for sure!
Your tomato’s look amazing! You are truly have a green thumb.
These recipes look fabulous Linda and I’m so impressed with your harvest! We’ve never had much success growing tomatoes!
How I wish our summer was here already. We have a few tomatoes on the vine right now, but they don’t have that gorgeous sunshine-filled taste.
Hope they come in soon with deliciousness!
Great recipes I suddenly feel like a BLT. I don’t have the patience to grow them but love them.
BLT’s are so good! We do have good farm stands that have yummy tomatoes. Thanks for dropping by.
I have never frozen tomatoes. I always can them. I may need to try to freeze them! Just had a BLT with heirloom tomatoes at lunch today before the big cookout tonight. Can never get enough fresh tomatoes in the summer! Thanks for sharing such great ideas!
I’m thinking lunch today! Thanks Leslie.
Yummy! Such great recipes!
Yum I haven’t had a BLT in ages. I happen to have bacon left over from brunch and I should use it for a BLT! Thanks for sharing these ideas.
Fresh tomatoes are a summer treat! Thank you for sharing these delicious recipes!
So many great recipes to choose from and so much variety…
Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome! Hope you enjoy them
Yummy recipes, your tub full of tomatoes is beautiful.
Thanks for sharing all this yummy!
I am waiting still on my tomatoes. All your tomato ideas are just so good! Withe the heatwave my tomatoes are finally growing, excited beyond! I can’t wait to try some of your tomato ideas!
Oh my word, these al look so delicious. I am going to try the bruschetta for tomorrow. Thank you!
My mouth is watering just looking at all of these pictures!
Ooooo, so many good ideas! I love the tomatoes, basil ad mozz idea. My tomatoes aren’t ripe yet but my basil is ready so I made it with store-bought tomatoes the other day. Excited for when I can make it with garden tomatoes. Have a wonderful holiday weekend!
Great recipes for all the beautiful tomatoes. We have had a wonderful tomato harvest this year. Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and hope to see you again soon.
Miz Helen
Wow! There are so many delicious ideas here! With all of the tomatoes we have in our garden, I’m certainly going to have to try some of these.
Love your photography! Tomatoes are my favorite, too! Thanks for the inspiration friend!
karianne
Hi Linda,
So nice to meet you here in blogland. Thank you so much for coming by and for your sweet comments.
I loved that you said it reading others thankful lists prompted you to grow your list. That is precisely one
of the reason I do it……………because it is so easy for us to pass over so many blessings that we have.
My main reason rho, is that it keeps me having a grateful heart and has revolutionized my life, and I am
hoping that it does the same for others………………..
All your tomatoes looks wonderful, and wow, what an assortment of good looking food you have here,
Yummo……………….made me hungry………….lol
Saw your son’s wedding pics, very handsome groom and such a beautiful bride, and what a precious
romantic guesture your son did in giving her his ring…………..Beautiful………….
Yea, being the mother of the groom has many mixed emotions, but a wonderful thing as they journey
on their way…………….my hardest moment was when we had a Mother/son dance that I didn’t know about and my son’s name is Scott and they played a song that my hubby played when we brought him home
from the hospital…..”Watching Scotty Grow”, well, I was a mess……………….why do we have to look so
yukky when we cry??…………..lol
You have a very lovely day, and hope to run into you again soon,
Blessings, Nellie
Yes, being the mom of the groom is wonderful and teary eyed sweet! Thnaks for looking through my recent posts. An encouragement as I hope they are add to folks’ days in positive way. May you have a lovely day too! Blessings, Linda
I’m a huge tomato fan, Linda, and all of your recipes are so beautifully done! Sometimes I look back on my dishes and realize that almost all of them have tomatoes in them, lol. Who can resist? Fabulous pics and flavourful dishes. Thanks for some great recipes!
Evidently it is the rare one who resists! Thanks for dropping by and your kind comments. Linda
I have to admit I’m a little jealous! We just moved across the country, so I wasn’t able to plant a vegetable garden this year. I miss the fresh tomatoes!
Great ideas for how to use them!
Next year Shannon! Hope you can find a good local farmer’s market. Thanks for stoping by. Linda
very nice use of the tomato. very pretty picture of the tomato under water.