8-2-Eat: 8 Recipes for Fresh Summer Tomatoes

8-2-Eat is my food-focused list series. A perfect Friday distraction. The last 2 weeks, I've shared a number of recipes for making use of fresh summer tomatoes. Here are 8 more of my favorites from summers past.

1. Tomato Bruschetta. Many of the best ways to enjoy fresh tomatoes are simple delights like tomato bruschetta--garlic-rubbed grilled bread brushed with olive oil and topped with tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. This recipe was accompanied by an article on the evolving use of the term "bruschetta."

Roasted tomato panzanella.

2. Roasted Tomato Panzanella. Panzanella, an Italian bread salad, is our favorite way to enjoy summer tomatoes. Although I usually serve it with raw tomatoes, sometimes I like them roasted too.

3. Greek Salad with Chicken. Classic Greek salad is a great way to showcase not just tomatoes but a variety of raw summer vegetables.

4. Freekeh Tabbouleh with Mint. Tabbouleh is usually made with bulgur wheat, but I love this version with the smoky-roasty flavor of freekeh, another wheat grain. Sweet sungold cherry tomatoes are my favorite tomato for this.

5. Peach and Tomato Salad with Tofu. This salad, a Hugh Acheson recipe, beautifully blends two summer staples into a spicy vegan salad (pictured above).

6. Ultimate Club Sandwich. I use a low-heat oven to dry out the tomatoes in this club sandwich, which also features avocado, bacon and Monterey Jack cheese.

Roasted tomato risotto.

7. Roasted Tomato Risotto. Most risotto recipes call for using chicken broth, but for more tomato flavor, I used my own roasted tomato broth in this recipe.

8. Tipsy Gazpacho Cocktail. I was inspired by the flavors of gazpacho in creating this gin cocktail made with roasted tomato syrup, a finalist in last year's Washington Post tomato recipe contest.