What to Do with Heirloom Tomatoes
If there's one thing I wait for all year long, it's heirloom tomato season! Once those big, juicy tomatoes start showing up at farmers markets and overflowing from the garden, I make absolutely everything I can with them. These heirloom tomato recipes highlight all the best ways to enjoy them.
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Heirloom Tomatoes Recipes
When heirloom tomato season hits, I find just about every excuse I can to build meals around them. These recipes are all about letting peak-season tomatoes shine. Whether your garden is overflowing or you just scored a perfect haul at the farmers market, these are the heirloom tomato recipes to make on repeat every summer!
Pasta Ponza
A simple Italian recipe made with sweet roasted cherry tomatoes, briny capers, sharp Pecorino Romano cheese and golden toasted breadcrumbs that create a light, silky sauce that clings to every bite of pasta.
Traditional Caprese Salad
This traditional Caprese salad proves that simple really is best when you start with incredible ingredients. Juicy heirloom tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, fresh basil, flaky sea salt, and really good olive oil come together in the most classic and delicious way, no balsamic glaze needed.
Cherry Tomato Confit
This cherry tomato confit is one of the simplest, most flavorful ways to preserve the taste of summer. Roasting tomatoes low and slow with garlic concentrates their sweetness and creates a rich, savory oil you'll want to pour on everything. It takes almost no effort and is endlessly versatile!
Summer Tomato Risotto
This summer tomato risotto is light, fresh, and packed with the flavor of ripe heirloom tomatoes, sweet fennel, fresh herbs, and good olive oil. It skips the heavy cream and cheese in favor of a brighter, more delicate tomato flavor that still tastes incredibly rich and luxurious.
Grilled Vegetable Panzanella
This grilled vegetable panzanella takes the classic Tuscan bread salad and gives it a smoky summer twist with charred zucchini, peppers, onions, and crusty grilled bread. Juicy heirloom tomatoes soak into every bite and tie the whole salad together with tons of fresh summer flavor.
Spaghetti al Pomodoro
This pasta al pomodoro is the quintessential classic Italian dish. Ripe fresh tomatoes, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil create a delicate tomato sauce that clings perfectly to pasta and is light, flavorful, and pure summer comfort.
Heirloom Tomato Salad
This is my take on the iconic Ugly Tomato Salad from Steve & Cookie's in Margate, NJ, which honestly might be one of the greatest summer salads of all time. Juicy heirloom tomatoes, creamy blue cheese, sweet-tangy sherry vinaigrette, and crispy fried shallots come together in the most insanely delicious combination of flavors and textures.
Goat Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes
These baked goat cheese stuffed tomatoes are one of my favorite ways to use ripe heirloom tomatoes. Creamy goat cheese, fresh chives, and crispy toasted breadcrumbs create the perfect balance of flavors and textures in every bite
Chicken Milanese with Tomato Arugula Salad
This crispy chicken Milanese gets topped with a bright lemony arugula salad, juicy tomatoes, fresh basil, and lots of shaved parmesan for the perfect balance of rich and fresh. The combination of crispy cutlets, peppery greens, and sweet colorful tomatoes is hard to beat.
Meatballs with Fresh Puttanesca Sauce
These juicy Italian meatballs get baked in a roasted puttanesca sauce made with fresh tomatoes, anchovies, olives, and capers for a lighter, brighter take on the classic. It's especially good with ripe heirloom tomatoes, which become sweet and jammy in the oven while still keeping the sauce fresh and vibrant.
No-Cook Fresh Sun Gold Tomato Pasta
This recipe for no-cook sun gold tomato pasta takes just 6 simple ingredients and less than 20 minutes to make!
Sugo al Pomodoro
This fresh tomato sauce recipe made with ripe garden tomatoes so it's lighter, fresher and sweeter than a classic tomato sauce made with canned tomatoes. It's easy to make, freezes and cans well and is one of the best things you can make to preserve the flavor of fresh tomato season!
Roasted Tomatoes with Cannellini Beans
This recipe for Roasted Tomatoes with White Beans is simple, rustic and full of flavor. Sweet cherry tomatoes roast with garlic until juicy and caramelized, then get tossed with creamy cannellini beans and fresh basil.
Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart
I make this savory tomato tart every single tomato season, usually when the heirlooms are at their absolute peak. Sweet jammy tomatoes, tangy Dijon, creamy goat cheese, and a buttery flaky crust come together in the most delicious way, and you can easily make it free-form if you don't have a tart pan.
Pan Con Tomate
This simple Spanish tomato bread is one of my favorite ways to use up super ripe heirloom tomatoes, especially the ones that are getting a little too juicy for salads. Grilled crusty bread gets rubbed with garlic and fresh tomato, then finished with good olive oil and flaky sea salt for a recipe you'll want to make on repeat during tomato season.
Cheesy Baked Tomatoes
These cheesy baked tomatoes are one of my go-to summer side dishes when the garden is overflowing with ripe heirloom tomatoes. Sharp cheddar, crispy panko breadcrumbs, and fresh herbs bring out the natural sweetness of the tomatoes in the simplest, most delicious way.
Watermelon Gazpacho
This silky smooth watermelon gazpacho is one of the most refreshing ways to use ripe summer tomatoes. Sweet watermelon brings out the flavor of juicy heirlooms beautifully, while good olive oil and sherry vinegar keep it balanced, bright, and incredibly refreshing on a hot day.
Best Ever BLT's
This sandwich really deserves to be called a TBL because the tomato is absolutely the star of the show. Thick slices of juicy heirloom tomatoes get layered with crispy bacon, fresh lettuce, and a lemony garlic herb mayo for a simple summer sandwich that's way greater than the sum of its parts.
Greek Tomato Fritters
These crispy Greek tomato fritters are bursting with sweet summer tomato flavor and always disappear fast. Inspired by the ones I fell in love with in Greece, they're made with juicy tomatoes, feta, fresh herbs, and no extra liquid, which keeps the tomato flavor super concentrated and delicious.
Heirloom Tomato and Feta Toasts
One of my go-to summer lunches is made with juicy heirloom tomatoes, salty feta, and tons of fresh herbs piled onto crispy garlic-rubbed toast. The grilled bread adds the perfect smoky crunch, and it also makes an easy summer appetizer for entertaining.
Homemade Pizza Sauce
This authentic Neapolitan-style pizza sauce keeps things simple so the tomatoes can really shine. It's traditionally made with canned tomatoes, but during peak summer, ripe heirloom or beefsteak tomatoes make an incredible fresh version with tons of natural sweetness and flavor.
What Are Heirloom Tomatoes?
Unlike standard tomatoes, heirlooms are grown from seeds that have been passed down for generations. This is why there are so many different varieties with unique colors, shapes, flavors and textures.
What makes heirloom tomatoes so special is their flavor. When they're truly in season, a good heirloom tomato is sweet enough to bite into like an apple and barely need anything else. Different varieties have different flavor profiles ranging from sweet and fruity to salty and acidic.
They're also incredibly beautiful on a plate, especially when you mix different colors and varieties together.
I love using a combination of heirlooms whenever possible for the best flavor, texture, and presentation.
Heirloom Tomato Varieties
There are TONS of different heirloom tomato varieties out there, and their flavors and textures can vary wildly. Some are super sweet and fruity, others are rich, savory, tangy, salty or intensely juicy.
They also come in all kinds of colors and shapes, which is part of what makes them so fun to cook with.
Some heirlooms are deep purple and almost smoky tasting, like Cherokee Purple, while others are bright, tangy, and a little more acidic, like Green Zebra. Dark varieties like Black Krim can have an almost salty quality.
Pineapple and Kellogg's Breakfast tomatoes tend to be huge, meaty, and sweet with beautiful yellow and orange flesh, while Mr. Stripey has a more delicate flavor with gorgeous streaky coloring.
Aunt Ruby's German Green stays green even when ripe and has an incredible sweet-tart flavor that surprises people every time. It's one of my favorites!
I especially love mixing different varieties together for a rainbow effect and layers of flavor in salads, sandwiches, tarts, and pasta dishes.
Sungolds are technically a hybrid and not a true heirloom, but worth mentioning since they're one of my all-time favorite tomatoes!
They're incredibly sweet, juicy, impossible to stop eating straight off the vine, and why I created this sun gold tomato pasta.
When are Heirloom Tomatoes in season
Heirloom tomatoes are at their absolute best during peak summer, usually from July through September depending on where you live.
Around here in New Jersey, July through September is when my garden and the farmers markets start overflowing with big, juicy tomatoes that are sweet enough to eat like an apple.
Summertime is when tomatoes really shine, and it makes all the difference in recipes like salads, sandwiches, tarts, pasta and fresh tomato sauce.
Out of season tomatoes just can't compare in flavor or texture, especially those refrigerated grocery store tomatoes that tend to be mealy and bland.
Where to get Heirloom Tomatoes
If you want the best heirloom tomatoes, look for fruit that feel heavy for its size, smells sweet at the stem and gives slightly when gently squeezed.
Check your local farmers market! During peak summer season, you'll usually find the widest variety of colors, shapes and flavors, along with tomatoes that were actually picked ripe rather than shipped across the country.
If you grow your own tomatoes, even better! I grow several varieties every summer, and no matter how many I eat fresh or give away, there's always a surplus.
Some of my favorite recipes are inspired by those slightly overripe garden tomatoes that are too juicy for salads, but perfect for sauce, pasta or toast.
You can sometimes find heirloom tomatoes at grocery stores, but the timing matters. Only buy them when they're truly in season and avoid refrigerated tomatoes whenever possible, since cold temperatures dull both the flavor and texture.
Heirloom Tomato FAQs
Never refrigerate heirloom tomatoes unless they're fully ripe and you absolutely need to extend their life by a day or two. Store them at room temperature and keep them out of direct sunlight for the best taste. You can also can them or make sauce to jar and store. If you must refrigerate your tomatoes, bring them to room temperature before serving.
Yes! The best move is to freeze them whole in zip-top bags. They're great for adding to soups or making sauce all winter and spring until tomatoes come back into season. Once frozen and defrosted, the skins come off really easily which is ideal for cooking. In order to remove their skins when fresh, you need to blanch them first, which is a real pain.
Heirloom tomatoes are more delicate, harder to transport and often grown on a smaller scale than conventionally grown tomatoes. They also have a shorter shelf life and lower yields, which makes them more expensive but totally worth it during peak season.
Buy them only during the summer season. The best tomatoes will be heavy for their size, give slightly to gentle pressure, and have a sweet aroma at the stem.
