Quick Entertaining - Summer Tomatoes

Of the many reasons to look forward to summer, flavorful heirloom and vine-ripened tomatoes may be at the top of our list. A completely different beast than those insipid, hard bland things that appear in the markets off-season, a perfectly ripe tomato smells and tastes like summer itself.

When we're lucky enough to have a batch, we want to do as little as possible to them. Minimal heat, thank you. Just a simple treatment to really highlight their flavors and keep them the star of the meal.

Here are a few of our favorite Quick Entertaining ideas. Each of them is lovely with a crisp, cold white wine like Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio or your favorite Champagne!

Bruschetta with Summer Tomatoes & Prosciutto
Cut tomatoes into large chunks and toss briefly with a splash of olive oil, a few drops of red wine vinegar and sprinkles of kosher salt and black pepper. Set aside while you toast thick slices of ciabatta or other crusty bread.

Lightly rub one side of each toast with a halved garlic clove. Place on a serving plate and top with tomato mixture. Drape thin slices of prosciutto over each and serve.

Cherry Tomato & Cheese Kebabs
Sprinkle whole cherry tomatoes (you can halve them if they're very large) lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper. Set aside while you cut cubes of cheese - you can use fresh mozzarella, feta, gorgonzola or whatever semi-firm cheese strikes your fancy!

Sandwich a cube of cheese between a top and bottom half of a cherry tomato on a toothpick. Add a basil leave here and there if you like. Arrange on a serving platter and give a final drizzle of your most intense green olive oil.

Heirloom Tomato Salad
Quarter and/or halve a mixture of types and colors of heirloom tomatoes - you want to be able to see the different types, so don't cut them too small!

Make a quick Dijon vinaigrette by whisking together extra virgin olive oil with small amounts of Dijon mustard and red wine vinegar - in a proportion of approximately 4 parts oil to 1 part vinegar to 1/3 part mustard. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar.

Toss tomatoes with vinaigrette and serve. You can also toss in a handful of fresh summer herbs, like basil or mint or flatleaf parsley.

Quick Summer Tomato Relish
Versatile as a savory topping to simply grilled fish, poultry or meat!

Halve cherry, teardrop, grape or other small heirloom tomatoes. Heat a small amount of extra virgin olive oil in a skillet and add tomatoes. Saute for a couple of minutes, then add a pinch of sugar and a splash of red wine vinegar. Cook over high heat for a couple of minutes until vinegar has cooked off and tomatoes are softened but not falling apart.

Season tomatoes with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, as well as some thinly sliced scallions and/or handful of chopped fresh herbs like cilantro, mint or parsley.

Fresh Tomato Tart
Bake a tart shell - you can use frozen pie crusts, refrigerated pastry dough, puff pastry, or homemade. Brush the pastry with an egg glaze before baking - just mix an egg yolk with a tablespoon of water - for a nice golden color.

Spread the baked shell with a thin layer of basil pesto - again, you can use storebought or homemade. The top with sliced tomatoes, a scattering of torn fresh basil leaves, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper. Slice and serve immediately!

Warm Mozzarella with Tomato and Arugula
Preheat oven to 275F. Slice fresh mozzarella into ¼" thick slices and arrange on an oven-proof plate or platter. Place in oven for about 4 minutes, until cheese looks like it is just beginning to soften. Do not allow to melt.

Remove platter and scatter sliced tomatoes, baby arugula leaves, extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, kosher salt and pepper over the top. Serve immediately.

Pasta with Raw Tomatoes, Basil and Parmesan
Cook linguine or your favorite pasta until al dente. While the pasta is cooking, mix chopped ripe tomatoes with a splash of red wine vinegar, a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil, chopped fresh basil, a small amount of grated fresh garlic, salt and pepper.

Drain pasta and immediately toss with a bit of olive oil and then some freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Top with tomato mixture and lightly toss again. Serve with additional grated Parmesan alongside.