Wondering what to do with fresh tomatoes? We share ideas and picked three tomato recipes you'll love!

If you're wondering what to do with fresh tomatoes from the garden or farmers' market, lucky you! We have suggestions and healthy tomato recipes for using them up while they're at the peak of ripeness.

What to do with fresh tomatoes? An age-old summer "problem"

Ahh, summer! Long days, warm weather, blooming flowers, and fresh, vine-ripened tomatoes. Lots and lots of tomatoes! As much as we anticipate them, tomatoes are only at their peak of ripeness for a short time, meaning you may need to get creative in how to use them. Consider yourself fortunate-there are countless ways to use fresh tomatoes.

Technically a fruit, tomatoes are generally considered a vegetable based on their culinary uses. As if you needed another reason to eat tomatoes, they have impressive nutritional properties. A large tomato has only 33 calories yet provides a rich source of potassium (431 mg), vitamin A (1516 IU), and vitamin C (25 mg). Tomatoes are also high in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant with cancer-protective properties.

We hand-picked easy ideas to prepare fresh tomatoes

• Pan-fried red tomatoes: This makes a simple, yummy low-carb lunch. Thick tomato slices cooked in a skillet, topped with a melted cheese slice. Pan-fry the tomatoes in a small amount of olive oil and top with your cheese of choice.
• Caprese salad: This simple tomato salad is an ideal way to use colorful red, orange, and purple varieties of heirloom tomatoes. Slice tomatoes and overlap the slices with sliced fresh mozzarella and top with a leaf of fresh basil. Or, simply chop the tomatoes and cheese into half-inch chunks and toss them together in a bowl with chopped fresh basil, salt, pepper, and a dash of olive oil.
• Sandwich add-in: Add tomato slices to your sandwich. They are also delicious inside a grilled cheese or a panini.
• Pizza topper: What pizza wouldn't benefit from slices of fresh summer tomato?
• Grilled: Brush thick tomato slices with olive oil and grill, or add cherry tomatoes to kebabs.
• Simple snack: Slice and season with salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of Italian herbs.
• Add-in: Top scrambled eggs, omelets, burritos, tacos, or pasta with diced tomatoes to boost flavor with few added calories.
• Tomato juice: Tired of eating tomatoes? Put them through a juicer for a refreshing low-calorie summer drink or even as the base for a Bloody Mary.

What else to do with fresh tomatoes? Try one of these MyNetDiary Premium Recipes

Tomato Basil Bruschetta: This simple preparation can be served as an appetizer over toasted bread or spooned over grilled chicken or fish.
Simple Ratatouille: A colorful stew, featuring the bounty of a summer garden: tomatoes, eggplant, and zucchini.
Tomato Corn Black Bean Salad: An all-time favorite summer side dish and a great way to use leftover corn on the cob. You may even want to cook extra corn to make this salad the next day.

Want to explore even more tomato recipes?

Use MyNetDiary's Recipe Database to search more than 370,00 recipes. For example, add "tomato" under "Ingredients to include" to find your new favorite tomato recipe, and you'll never wonder what to do with your bumper crop of fresh tomatoes again!

Reviewed and revised by Sue Heikkinen MS, RDN, CDCES on July 5, 2021

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Foods & Recipes->Fruit & Vegetables Nutrients->Potassium Nutrients->Vitamin A & beta-carotene