4 tomato-forward recipes to make the most of tomato girl summer

Brat summer is out; tomato girl summer is in. The latest social media summertime trend features a breezy, Italian-themed fashion aesthetic, and it’s sparking creativity in the kitchen – TikTok and Instagram boast a bevvy of videos touting tomato-themed parties and recipes.

“We are so ready for a tomato girl summer!” wrote @alessandrabrontesema in a recent TikTok showcasing her tomato girl summer dinner party. She, along with other creators such as @biteswithester, have recently popularized heirloom tomato flights. In this trend, TikTok users are taking slices of heirloom tomatoes and topping them with burrata, aioli, bacon and various other toppings.

Restaurants are also taking to social media to highlight their tomato-themed dishes. Roses On Adeline Bar & Kitchen in Berkeley, California, recently claimed that “tomato girl summer is in full effect!” while showing off its new heirloom tomato and corn dish. Wildseed in San Francisco, California, is marketing its new tomato cocktails, including its Caprese Girl cocktail, as tomato girl summer as well. And on the opposite coast in New Jersey, Marsilio’s Kitchen proclaimed it’s “tomato girl summer at Marsilio’s Kitchen” in a recent Facebook reel.

Even Bath & Body Works says its new Off The Vine lotion and fragrance line was inspired by the ”’tomato girl’ aesthetic.”

But events highlighting the versatile summertime fruit have gone on long before tomato girl summer. Since 2021, Duke’s Hot Tomato Summer has been encouraging restaurants to develop specials showcasing tomatoes. The event, now offered in South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, has hundreds of participating restaurants with limited-edition tomato-forward dishes.Through July 27, find caviar BLTs in Charleston, southern tomato pie doughnuts in Charlotte and tomato sorbet in Raleigh. 

If you’re looking to elevate your tomato girl summer, here are four recipes that highlight the trending ingredient, ranging from simple, no-frills recipes to more complex, elevated dishes.

Feeling ambitious? Cook all four for the ultimate tomato girl summer dinner party.

FOOD FACTS: Does rinsing your produce with water actually do anything?

Fresh tomato, beef and penne pasta

It’s a fast, one-pan dish packed with real flavor and none of the fuss.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef (93% lean or leaner)
• 3 teaspoons fresh minced garlic
• 2 cups chopped tomatoes 
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1½ cups uncooked penne pasta, cooked
• 2 tablespoons sliced fresh basil leaves
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add ground beef and garlic. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, breaking into ¾-inch crumbles and stirring occasionally. Ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. Pour off drippings. 
2. Stir in tomatoes, salt and pepper; cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pasta and basil; toss. Sprinkle with cheese.

Grilled corn and tomato salad

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh corn
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• ½ cup pickled red onions
• ½ cup queso fresco
• 1-2 avocados, cut into ½-inch cubes

Dressing

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1. Combine cooked corn, tomatoes and onion in a large bowl. 
2. Mix together the dressing ingredients in another bowl. Pour over the salad, and gently toss to mix. Chill salad for an hour or two to let flavors blend. 
3. Add queso fresco and avocados right before serving so they don’t brown.

Tomato, basil and feta dip

Ingredients

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• Zest from 1 lemon
• 12 ounces feta cheese, cubed
• Red pepper flakes, to taste
• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
• 3-4 sprigs thyme
• ¼ cup basil, roughly torn

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. In a baking dish, combine cherry tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, honey, garlic, shallots, lemon zest, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
3. Roast for 15–20 minutes, or until the tomatoes burst and the mixture is bubbling with flavor.
4. Meanwhile, cube the feta and arrange half in a shallow bowl or serving platter.
5. Spoon the roasted tomato mixture over the feta, layering in the flavor.
6. Season with finishing salt, fresh ground pepper, basil and the remaining feta.
7. Serve warm with toasted bread or fresh veggies.

Heirloom tomato salad with goat cheese, croutons and basil

If you are looking for a light and refreshing meal for summer, this tomato salad is calling your name!

Ingredients

Tomato water

• 10 pounds ripe heirloom tomatoes, diced and cored, divided use
• 1 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large shallots, minced
• 1 tablespoon basil, minced
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted and ground
• ½ teaspoon black peppercorns, toasted and ground
• 2-3 tablespoons salt
• 2-3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 4 ounces goat cheese, softened

Croutons

• 1 round bread loaf
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 clove unpeeled garlic
• Kosher salt, to taste

Basil oil

• 1 pound basil, hold out a handful of few leaves for garnishing salads
• 1 bunch parsley
• 2 cups canola oil
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes

Instructions

For tomato water

1. The day before serving, fill a mixing bowl with ice cubes and cold water. Boil a pot of lightly salted water. Prick three-quarters of the tomatoes with a sharp knife and blanch to loosen their skin and plunge into an ice bath to stop cooking. Gently remove tomato skins with a paring knife.
2. Add blanched tomatoes to a non-reactive bowl with a lid and with a stick blender combine with vinegar, garlic, shallots, basil, fennel, black peppercorn, salt and sugar.
3. Allow the tomato “water” to marinate in the refrigerator for 4 hours.
4. Strain through cheesecloth, return to the refrigerator and allow to sit overnight to continue draining.

Goat cheese preparation

1. Place goat cheese in a mixing bowl fitted with a whip attachment and process until light and fluffy
2. Spoon mixture in a piping bag.
3. Pipe the cheese onto a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the refrigerator to allow to set up, about 1 hour, until set.
4. With your hands, roll the cheese into balls and set aside.

For basil oil

1. Blanch parsley and basil in lightly salted water and shock in ice water.
2. Ring out all the water using a paper towel and chop the herbs with a knife.
3. Add the chopped herbs to a blender and slowly add oil to blend on high until it boils in the canister, so it looks like curds and whey.
4. Cool in a double ice bath (bowl, ice, bowl) and strain through a coffee filter.

To assemble

1. Slice remaining tomatoes in slices or wedges and halve the cherry tomatoes and place artfully on the plate.
2. Add a few croutons, dabs of goat cheese, whole basil garnish and drizzle with tomato water.
3. Finish the salad with drops of basil oil.