Five quick ways with farm-fresh tomatoes

Five fresh tomato recipes for everyday cooking: a quick salad, roasted tomatoes, chutney, tomato eggs and a make-ahead sauce.

A few ripe tomatoes can cover lunch, breakfast and the start of dinner. These fresh tomato recipes use ordinary kitchen ingredients and leave room to adjust the chilli, salt and spices to your taste. Wash the tomatoes under running water before preparing them.

1. Simple tomato salad

Slice two medium tomatoes and arrange them on a plate. Add a little sliced onion if you like, then dress with a teaspoon of oil, a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt. Finish with coriander. This serves two as a side and takes about five minutes.

2. Roasted tomatoes

Heat the oven to 200°C. Halve about 500 g of tomatoes, place them cut-side up in a roasting dish and toss with a tablespoon of oil, salt and two crushed garlic cloves. Roast for 20–30 minutes, depending on size, until soft and lightly browned. Spoon over toast or stir through pasta.

3. Fresh tomato chutney

Roughly chop two tomatoes, one small green chilli, a small garlic clove and a handful of coriander. Pulse briefly with a squeeze of lemon and salt until you have a chunky chutney. Taste before adding more chilli. Make a small batch to serve with the meal and refrigerate any remainder promptly.

4. Tomato and egg

Soften one chopped tomato in a teaspoon of oil over medium heat. Add a pinch of cumin or chilli if you like, then pour in two beaten eggs. Stir gently until the eggs are set and fully cooked. Serve with roti or toast for a breakfast for one.

5. A sauce base for another day

For a useful sauce base, soften one chopped onion in a tablespoon of oil. Add 500 g of chopped tomatoes and your preferred spices, then simmer uncovered for 25–35 minutes, stirring until thick. Divide into shallow containers, refrigerate within two hours and freeze portions you will not use soon. This is the slower recipe, but it saves preparation time on another day.

Use the salad and chutney when you want something fresh and quick; choose roasting or simmering when you want a softer, richer result. Check our seasonal calendar and shop for tomato availability before planning a large batch.