All About Heirloom Tomatoes

Ideas for serving and cooking with the many types of heirloom tomatoes.

heirloom tomato varieties / loveandlemons.com

I’m hoping you’re not tomato-ed out yet! Today, I want to share a little info & inspiration about a few heirloom tomato varieties. (These are the ones I used in last week’s salad). They have such fun names, don’t they?

And for more recipe ideas, check out the Whole Foods heirloom tomato pinboard that I’ve been pinning to over the last few weeks:

heirloom tomato pinboard
image sources: midwest living / mission delectable / a couple cooks
foodie crush / whole foods market / the devil wears parsley

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Win a $50 Whole Foods gift card. Just leave a comment below telling me about your favorite way to eat heirloom tomatoes!

This post is in partnership with Whole Foods Market. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that support Love & Lemons. Giveaway ends 8/22/13. Open to US residents only.

283 comments

  1. Lauren
    08.20.2013

    Little s&p, evoo, and basil. That’s all one needs in life. Maybe add a porch swing for ambiance.

  2. Beth
    08.20.2013

    I like to eat them plain–rinse one off, add some salt, and eat it like you would an apple. They are so delicious as is, why do anything to them?

  3. Susan
    08.20.2013

    I did an heirloom tomato salad vinaigrette which I topped with a scoop of homemade tomato sherbet that was garnished with basil chiffonade! Delicious AND beautiful.

  4. Claire
    08.20.2013

    A simple caprese salad is the best way to enjoy the delicious flavors of heirloom tomatoes!

  5. sarah from sarahlikesgreen.com
    08.20.2013

    i love to show off the colors in a simple tomato salad with basil, a little onion, a little avocado, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and sea salt with some yummy sourdough baguette to mop up the juices 🙂

  6. Kristen B
    08.20.2013

    I love adding heirloom tomatoes to summer salads and frittatas!

  7. Maggie
    08.20.2013

    I love grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches. ALSO, a lovely slice of tomato, a piece of cheese, cracked black pepper, all on a good chunk of bread.

  8. Suzann
    08.20.2013

    I could eat caprese salad every day for every meal, as long as I can make it with fresh heirloom tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, EVOO, and aged balsamic vinegar… nothing else… no salt, no pepper. Just pure ingredients. Delish.

  9. jef
    08.20.2013

    Sliced thinly with mozz and basil on good foccacia.

  10. Dani K.
    08.20.2013

    I roast mine with hot peppers, throw whole into a blender with salt, pepper, and raw garlic cloves. Roasted salsa recipe taught to me by a former Mexican chef, as translated through her daughter.

  11. Jinan Munro
    08.20.2013

    plain…with a pinch of salt and pepper. Perfection.

  12. libbyh
    08.20.2013

    Most recently, I’ve really enjoyed them in a simple panzanella! Fresh mozzarella cubed, s&p, olive oil, homemade croutons, cucumbers, and maybe some balsamic vinegar and herbs. YUMM!

  13. Bonnie Sanders
    08.20.2013

    If the tomatoes are fresh out of the garden I love to eat them plain or at the most a little bit of good salt.

  14. Christina
    08.20.2013

    I like to make an amped-up pico de gallo with heirloom tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeno and lime juice, plus raw corn kernels and grated zucchini. i use it on tacos, salads, frittatas, brown rice, you name it. it has a really beautiful color!

  15. charj
    08.20.2013

    Favorite way to eat heirloom tomatoes is on a tempeh, lettuce, tomato and avocado sandwich

  16. Kayla from kaylahood.com
    08.20.2013

    Last summer, my brother in law, Jamie, made us this really yummy salad. Its a mexican take on the caprese salad using heirloom tomato and avocado slices, drizzles of olive oil and cilantro leaves scattered around. It’s absolutely delicious! I think we ate it every week after our trip last summer. It’s on my menu for this week, too!

  17. Halle
    08.20.2013

    I love fresh summer tomatoes with a little salt and pepper, olive oil, fresh basil, and mozz. YUM! Sometimes the cherry tomatoes are so delicious though they don’t make it home from the garden 🙂

  18. Mabel
    08.20.2013

    thinly sliced with a little salt and pepper. Just pure!

  19. Caroline from chardonnaymoi.com
    08.20.2013

    I can’t get enough of tomato/basil/corn salad with balsamic and olive oil….adding a grilled nectarine has also taken it to a whole new level!

    Love your blog!

    -Caroline

    chardonnaymoi.com

  20. Aysegul from foolproofliving.com
    08.20.2013

    I love using them for tomato and basil bruschettas. Not only they look very pretty but they are delicious.

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.