This summer has been a whirlwind! There have been so many recipes that I’ve wanted to try, but haven’t made time for. And, so many I’ve made (on repeat), but haven’t had a chance to take pictures of or write any notes to share. So, here are just a few tomato recipes that I’ve been eyeing (and some I’ve tried and loved) that I hope you’ll try before the season passes us by. I’m especially excited by the winter squash/tomato recipes, as this time during which we can have them both (and eat them, too) is so fleeting! These recipes are sure to help you savor the last of summer, while easing into fall.

Mathilde's Tomato Tart

To kick off the list, here’s a recipe I’ve been making (on repeat) this summer. It stars beautiful slices of heirloom tomatoes, which are complemented by a bright parsley-basil pesto.

Smitten Kitchen is a great resource for finding new inspiration in the kitchen. I subscribe to the newsletter, and especially appreciate it on those days when I just don’t know what to make for dinner (which, is most days). That is exactly how I found this Heirloom Tomato Tart recipe. After reading the post (and seeing the pictures), I wasted no time gathering the supplies to make it. Though a little time consuming (you have to make a crust and a pesto), it came together easily (once you have the crust and pesto, all you need to do is slice tomatoes and layer it all together) and was so delicious I made it again just a few days later. And then again a week later for a potluck picnic. And then again, and again, and I’m ready to make it again. In case you haven’t gathered, I LOVED it and think you will too.

The crust recipe provided for this tart is seemingly foolproof. I know, because I have messed up the mixing steps and it still turned out beautifully. To make this dish even easier, you could assemble the crust and pesto ahead of time, so that all you’d need to do when you’re ready is layer it together and bake.

While the tomatoes are the real star of this tart, the parsley-basil pesto makes it sing. I used the drunken goat cheese, as is suggested in the recipe, but am curious to play around with other cheeses (there is such a small amount called for that one block of the cheese lasted for several tarts, so that’s all I’ve tried so far). For the tomatoes, a variety of colors is nice, but it’s just as beautiful with a single hue – what’s really important is that they taste good.

Don’t let the summer slip by without trying it!

Herbed Cherry Tomato and Roasted Garlic Tart

While you’re at Smitten Kitchen, why not give this cherry tomato tart a go? We can’t let the heirlooms have all the fun!

This recipe sounds delicious: parmesan cheese, roasted garlic, and blistered cherry tomatoes on a bed of puff pastry. I am sure this will follow in the Heirloom Tart’s footsteps, and become something I make over and over again until there are no more tomatoes for me to broil into a juicy blistered perfection.

Hot Charred Cherry Tomatoes with Cold Yogurt

I picked up two (yes, two!) new-to-me Ottolenghi cookbooks this summer (Simple and Extra Good Things), and as a result have been on quite an Ottolenghi kick in the kitchen. If you’re not familiar, Yotam Ottolenghi recipes often feature vegetables paired with herbs, spices, grains, and flavorful sauces. The heavy lean on vegetables is what draws me to his recipes. What’s more, the “tomato” section of the index is usually a very exciting list. Two tomato-based recipes that I tried and quite enjoyed were “Hot Charred Cherry Tomatoes With Cold Yogurt” and “Baked Poletna With Feta Bechamel and Za’atar Tomatoes.” The method for cooking the cherry tomatoes is fairly similar for both recipes (blistered in the oven with plenty of oil with spices, sugar and herbs added in), but you end up with much different results in how they come together for the dish! I would recommend trying them both before tomato season ends.

The Hot Charred Cherry Tomatoes with Cold Yogurt were a wonderful side. The hot tomatoes with the cold yogurt are a great combination, and as they sit, the yogurt gets really creamy from the heat and oil of the tomatoes. This is also a great way to make tomatoes and you can adapt it to take on many other forms!

Being the end of the tomato season, it’s the perfect time to “mess” with them — add spices, herbs, blister, broil, char, use as a topping — as we’ve had plenty of time to enjoy them in their pure splendor.

Baked Polenta with Feta Béchamel and Za’atar Tomatoes

Everything about this recipe is delicious. It’s also pretty easy to make since you use instant polenta (something I had never done before!). This recipe is pizza-adjacent and could be eaten as a meal on it’s own, as a side, or snack. The feta béchamel is a garlicy, salty, creamy partner for the acidic, sweet, spiced tomatoes. The recipe leaves you with some extra tomatoes to use for something else (or you could just pile them all on…). Give it a try! It’s perfect for fall.

Butternut Squash with Ginger Tomatoes and Lime Yogurt

Ok, just one more Ottolenghi recipe…

When I searched the Internet for winter squash and tomato recipes, it was only fitting that the first result to catch my eye was, of course, an Ottolenghi recipe. At first glance, this roasted butternut and tomato recipe is a “classic” Ottolenghi recipe in that it has a few difficult-to-source ingredients* and by skimming the directions you’ll see it takes about 2 hours (!) to cook. This was almost enough for me to pass it up, but after looking closer it’s not actually all that complex. In fact, it’s quite simple and relatively hands-off!

The cook times are long, and do require a change of oven temp, but once they’re in the oven you can sit back and relax (or do some dishes).

Preparing the butternut could not be more straight forward – you don’t even need to peel it! Simply cut it in half lengthwise, without peeling, scoop out the seeds, and then cut each half into slices about 1-1.5 inch thick (half circles). Then you toss with some olive oil, salt & pepper and pop in the oven.

While the butternut cook, you have plenty of time to prepare the rest. The tomatoes are as simple to prepare as the butternut – slice in half and put on a baking sheet. (I used Durst Organic Growers Roma tomatoes, and they worked great.)

Then, this is where the recipe gets interesting: you make a paste of grated ginger, diced hot pepper, brown sugar and crushed garlic. After the tomatoes have gone in for the first 80 (I know, it's long!) minutes, you top them with this mix and put them back in for another 40 minutes. (I used well over the suggested amount of ginger and let it sit while I waited for the squash and then the tomatoes to cook, so mine was more of a syrup than a paste, which made it very easy to spoon onto the tomatoes) The result is incredible.

The yogurt “sauce” is also quite simple to put together. Just zest some lime over the yogurt and stir that in with the ground coriander (I was able to find decorticated coriander at the grocery store, and then just ground that). For the coriander leaves, don’t panic: it’s just cilantro!

After everything cooks, you arrange the squash and tomatoes on a platter and then top with a lime zested yogurt, lime juice, and cashews. It’s absolutely delightful and such a perfect dish for this transitional time of year. I ate mine with flat bread, and that was dinner!

I’m curious to try this with cherry tomatoes instead of romas next time. I’d like to try roasting the cherry tomatoes, then tossing with the ginger-chili mix and roasting for a little longer. This would drastically reduce the cook time, plus I love roasted cherry tomatoes. I might even mix up the squash and try a kabocha (my favorite), red kuri, or a delicata (second favorite?).

Don’t let the long cook time scare you off – this recipe is worth it. I’m sure once you make it, you’ll look forward to it every September (and probably try to make it a few more times in the next month – I know I will!).

*a note on the ingredients:

if you can’t find pre-ground coriander you can grind your own using a mortar & pestle, or spice grinder (much easier). Either remove the seeds from the pods, or better yet if you can find it, use the decorticated coriander (saves you dealing with the pods).
coriander leaves = cilantro
for the dark muscovado sugar, I just used brown sugar

Roasted Squash and Tomatoes

For a simpler roasted squash and tomato dish, I’ll try this one from Food Network. It cooks for just 40 minutes, and has a much different flavor profile with rosemary, balsamic, onions, and garlic. This recipe is much more approachable for a weeknight, and you could tweak it with different flavoring agents depending on what you’ll be eating it with, or your mood! I think it has a lot of potential to be finessed to your liking.

Pasta with Winter Squash and Tomatoes

In my search for a winter squash and tomato recipe, I came across many pasta sauce recipes. At first, I was a little hesitant (why mess with a good thing? (the good thing being tomato sauce)), but the more I think it over, the more interested I become. One of my favorite ways to eat…anything…is with pasta, after all. There is a creamy winter squash pasta sauce recipe I love, so what’s to say it wouldn’t be enhanced with the addition of tomato? I have a feeling that once I try it I’ll start working on filling my freezer with tomatoes so I can continue making it throughout the winter.

This Pasta with Winter Squash recipe from Mark Bittman caught my eye for it’s simplicity. I think I would use (peeled) roma tomatoes and I would likely also puree the sauce before tossing with the pasta, just because I tend to like a smooth sauce over a chunky one. Or, maybe I wouldn’t!

Heirlooms might also be a nice tomato to use here for their flavor, but note that they take much longer to cook down for a sauce than a roma tomato as they tend to have more juice. You’d need to adjust the cook time as needed.

Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce with Onions and Butter

On the note of tomato sauce, I’ll leave here with this last recipe: Marcella Hazan’s famed Tomato Sauce with Onions and Butter. This recipe has 3 ingredients: tomatoes, butter, and onion. I think that’s just about all you need to know. If you haven’t tried it before, you’re in for a treat. It’s one of my favorite pasta sauce recipes, and I especially like to make it towards the end of tomato season using really ripe roma tomatoes.