Tomato Recipes - Quick Recipes for Fresh Tomatoes

Making a fresh tomato salsa is so, so easy. Chop, fresh ripe tomatoes and a small onion. Shred a handful of fresh cilantro/coriander into tiny strips and tear a handful of basil leaves. Put the whole lot into a large bowl, sprinkle with sea salt and few grinds of fresh black pepper and a large glug of fruity, extra virgin olive oil, cover and leave for 30 minutes.

This simple salsa can then be used as a side dish to grilled foods, on steamed fish or roast chicken, and my favorite - on grilled bread. Take a few slices of thick, country bread, rub one side with a clove of garlic and top with the salsa. A perfect dish for a summers day.

If you must cook the fresh tomatoes, then make it a short, burst of heat to preserve all the goodness. This quick tomato sauce is so easy to make. It is incredibly versatile as it can be eaten immediately, can be stored in the fridge for a few days and also freezes well, so a good way to use up a glut of tomatoes.

The sauce is lovely served on a bowl of fresh pasta with a good sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and fresh black pepper and can also be used as a sauce for grilled meats and fish.

• Quick Tomato Sauce Recipe.

I grow cherry tomatoes in a hanging basket by my back door and I eat them like candy all through the summer. There are times when the toms are tumbling off the vines too quickly to eat and a great way of preserving them is to roast in the oven and then store in the fridge covered in a little olive oil. They don't stay there for long though, they are simply too hard to resist. Here is how to oven dry them and a delicious recipe that takes very little time to put together.

• Oven Roasting Tomatoes

• Roast Tomato and Runner Bean Salad

The bringing together of certain ingredients in cooking is like watching a perfect marriage at work. The two are individuals with distinctive personalities yet complement each other perfectly. With a tomato it's going to have to be an open marriage as they work so well with several ingredients. Three of my favorite partners for a fresh tomato are basil, goats' cheese and rocket or ruccola; brought together in one great dish is like heaven on a plate.

Make the roast tomatoes as above, rub a thick slice of bread or baguette with a clove of garlic. Top with the roast tomatoes and two thick slices of goats cheese. Pop under a grill until the cheese is bubbling slightly. Serve on a bed of rocket/arugla and fresh basil. Fast, simple and delicious.

The searing heat of an Andalusian summer's day is easily quenched with a bowl, or a glass, of a chilled, spiky Gazpacho and even in cooler climes is still delicious. Gazpacho oozes goodness with its list of fresh ingredients and the star player, the tomato. Here is a lovely Gazpacho recipe from Lisa and Tony Sierra, About.com's Guides to Spanish Food showing just how quick and simple this is to make.

• Gazpacho Recipe