The Front Burner : Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a staple on our tables year round. But in autumn, winter and spring, they're pretty much used as an afterthought in salads and side dishes. Something to add color and texture to the menu. Though imported tomatoes try their best to show off a deep red color outside, their grainy insides still can't offer much in the way of taste.

And then comes summer. When the tomato we treat as a vegetable all the rest of the year magically transforms into the fruit it really is. When its enticing, sun-ripened aroma is evident with just a casual sniff. When its flesh is so mellow we just want to eat those little cherry tomatoes out of hand. When we like to get out the sea salt and sprinkle a bit onto those juicy slices of locally grown treasures.

Never mind that we're getting plenty of vitamin C while we're at it. And fiber, with or without the seeds. What's important is the taste you can only get when the locals come in.

Even with a plethora of this seasonal pleasure, though, we soon want to go beyond eating sliced tomatoes (with or without a sprinkling of fresh herbs, pepper and salt). Today's exercise, as we see it, is to help you use summer's bounty in easy, imaginative ways. Try adding these goodies to your tomato-lover's repertoire.

P.S. If your local farmers market has a vendor who specializes in heirloom tomatoes, keep in mind that these non-hybrid "fruits," which are typically quite juicy and delicious, generally are thin-skinned and require more delicate handling than some of the "newer" tomato varieties.

Classic summer pasta

Here's a version of the no-cook pasta sauce that's been around for years. If anything can point up the perfect union of tomatoes and pasta, this can. Use as a main course, or as a sit-down first course for a cookout with a Mediterranean theme.

You can use regular tomatoes for this, too. Remove some of the seeds before dicing, but you don't need to be too exacting.

Serve with chewy Italian bread and a pinot grigio.

About 2 pounds fresh, local plum tomatoes, diced

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano

2/3 cup toasted pine nuts

1/2 cup olive oil, plus more, if needed

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon coarsely chopped black pepper

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 pound fresh linguine

2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Fresh basil and/or oregano sprigs, garnish

Shredded parmesan cheese, for serving

In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, basil, oregano, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, pepper and salt. Cover and let flavors meld 30 to 60 minutes. Or refrigerate up to 3 hours, but bring to room temperature before using.

To finish, cook linguine in a large pot of boiling, lightly salted water, until al dente (see package directions). Drain, reserving a 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Return pasta to pot, then add tomato sauce to pot. Toss over medium heat until pasta is heated through, about 3 minutes, adding enough reserved pasta cooking water, a little at a time, to keep mixture moist. Sprinkle on the 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese and toss well. Remove to a large serving platter and garnish with herb sprigs. Offer shredded parmesan cheese on the side. Makes 4 to 5 main-dish servings or 6 to 7 first-course servings.

Elbow salad

Here's another dish that melds pasta and tomatoes and but adds cannellini beans to the mix. Plus olives. Truly Mediterranean in approach, this salad is great as a vegetarian main dish, or as a side dish for a pot-luck barbecue.

P.S. You can grill the tomatoes ahead, when you're fixing something else on the barbie, and save them for next day.

P.P.S. You can make all of this the salad the morning of, or even the day before. Refrigerate the macaroni and the bean salads separately. The dish is best served at room temperature, so that the flavors come through.

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 1/4 pounds fresh, local plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise

2 cups small elbow macaroni

1/4 cup red wine vinegar, divided

1/2 cup chopped, fresh basil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans (aka white kidney beans), rinsed, drained

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1/3 cup chopped, pitted Kalamata olives or other brine-cured olives

1/2 cup chopped fresh broad-leaf (Italian) parsley

Leafy green and/or red lettuce leaves, for serving

To grill tomatoes, heat barbecue to medium-high. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over cut sides of tomatoes. Salt and pepper them. Grill, cut side up, until skin begins to char, about 2 minutes. Turn tomatoes over and grill, cut side down, until just heated through, about 90 seconds. Cool. Cut tomatoes into 1-inch pieces and place in a bowl. If not using right away, cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.

For macaroni salad, cook elbows al dente, according to package directions. Drain well. Place in a large bowl and cool. When it's close to serving time, add grilled tomatoes and any juices left in tomato bowl, plus 3 tablespoons of the red wine vinegar, the basil and garlic. Taste for salt and pepper.

For cannellini salad, in a bowl, combine beans, onion, olives, parsley, the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and the remaining tablespoon of red wine vinegar. Taste for salt and pepper.

To serve, arrange lettuce leaves in bottom of a serving platter. Spoon macaroni salad around the outside of the platter. Spoon bean salad into the middle. Makes 6 main-dish servings or 8 (or more) side-dish servings.

Tomatoes 'n 'stuff'

Large, fresh local tomatoes make charming "bowls" for tuna, chicken, shrimp or crab salad. Simply cut out the stem and gently remove the pulp, hollowing out each tomato to leave as much space as possible for the filling. Serve on a bed of mesclun, which you lightly tossed with a favorite vinaigrette.

There's a bit of cooking to do for this recipe. Well, grilling actually. You can use this dish as a luncheon main dish, as part of a summery brunch menu, or as a side dish at dinner to accompany grilled poultry.

Try it with a rose. And some lovely Italian bread, of course.

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) chopped fresh sage, divided

4 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided

1 cup soft, fresh goat cheese

1 tablespoon sliced scallions

1 large shallot, minced

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

About 1/4 teaspoon salt

6 medium-size, perfectly ripe local tomatoes

For herbs, in a medium skillet over medium high, heat the 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add 3 tablespoons of the sage and 3 teaspoons of the rosemary and fry 30 seconds (to crisp leaves and release flavors). Use a slotted spoon to remove herbs to a paper towel to drain.

For stuffing, in a bowl, combine goat cheese, scallions, shallot, pepper, salt and remaining fresh sage and rosemary.

Using a small, sharp knife, remove a cone-shaped piece (about 2 inches wide and 1 1/2 inch deep) from the top of each tomato. Divide cheese mixture among tomatoes. Top each with some of the fried sage and rosemary.

To grill, barbecue should be at medium-high. Place tomatoes on grill rack and cover with the barbecue lid. Cook until tomatoes are softened, about 5 minutes. Makes 6 servings.