It’s summertime! And with summer come summer vegetables, like tomatoes! Whether you are harvesting tomatoes from your own garden, or purchasing them from a grocery store or farmers’ market, you can use them to make some of these great recipes.
Main Courses
A tasty but simple tomato soup recipe will start us off! Don’t like to eat soup when it’s hot outside? Why not make it in the winter with your stored tomatoes? Read more here!
Try this delicious and spicy sauce next! Pour it hot over some meat and beans for a hearty chili or serve it cold with chips or vegetables for a yummy salsa. Find the recipe here.
Have leftover scraps from all these tomato recipes? Why not turn them into tomato sauce? Find out how to make a versatile sauce with just your scraps from the recipe at this link.
Looking for ideas on how to use your fresh tomato sauce? Add some seasonings and it would make the perfect topping for cabbage rolls like the ones in this post!
Looking for another tasty dish that could be served both hot and cold? How about some chicken and sun-dried tomato pasta? Find the recipe here! (Bonus! This one has both gluten free and dairy free options. Double bonus! The post about dehydrating tomatoes, which you will find below, also tells you how to make the sun-dried tomatoes you’ll need for the pasta.)
Salads
Love the flavor of a good BLT, but don’t want the bread? Maybe you’re allergic to gluten; maybe you’re staying away just to be healthier; maybe you just want to try something new. Whatever the reason, a BLT salad would be just the thing for you! Read more at this link. (Bonus! The end of this post has lots of links to other great salad recipes, many of which feature tomatoes.)
Next up is the easiest veggie salad you’ll ever make! Just chop the vegetables and mix them in a big bowl. Find the recipe here along with some other ideas on how to use your mixed veggies.
Looking for more unique and healthy flavors? Try this recipe for some corn, tomato, and quinoa salad! (Bonus! Had enough salads? try serving it warm as a side or even as a main dish.)
Sides
Who doesn’t love a good salsa? Okay, maybe you aren’t fond of the spice, but if you make it yourself, you can adjust exactly how much (or how little) spice you use! Find an excellent recipe here.
Looking to try something just a little different? How about some pico de gallo instead of just salsa? Read more here!
Planning any backyard cookouts? Of course, ketchup is always necessary for your hotdogs and burgers, but ketchup from the store is often full of preservatives, corn syrup, and other harmful ingredients. Why not make your own? Take a look at this post for a great recipe!
Since bacon has been so popular lately, it only seems fair to include this tomato bacon dip in our list of recipes! Serve it with crackers, bread, veggies, or just about anything else! Read how to make it here. (Bonus! Try using turkey bacon for a healthier twist.)
Preserving
Preserve your tomatoes in the summer to have fresh tasting tomatoes all year round! This post will give you instructions on two different ways to can your tomatoes.
For a slightly different flavor, preserve your tomatoes by dehydrating them! There are many ways you can use dehydrated tomatoes, and you can even reconstitute them to use them just like fresh tomatoes! Read more from this article. (Bonus! Find out how to make sun-dried tomatoes, too.)
That last post mentioned using your dehydrated tomatoes to make tomato powder. This post tells you exactly how to do that, and it includes several great ideas on how to use your tomato powder!
Probably the fastest and easiest way to preserve your tomatoes is by simply freezing them. This post has some helpful tips for when you’re freezing your tomatoes.
Growing
Have all these recipes left you inspired to grow your own tomatoes next summer? Maybe you’ve already grown some but want some tips to improve your harvest. Check out this post for several great suggestions on growing tomatoes from how to select the best varieties to how to prevent pests.
Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.
Via: thesurvivalmom
Follow
