Patio Tomato recipes

Container gardeners who grow patio tomatoes often have a bowl of small-medium tomatoes at peak ripeness — this bruschetta is the perfect way to celebrate them. Diced and dressed with garlic, olive oil, and fresh basil, then piled onto grilled bread, this is exactly the kind of recipe that makes growing your own feel completely worth it.

When patio tomatoes come in fast and furiously from container plants, this soup uses them up brilliantly. Roasting first concentrates their sweetness; blending gives a silky, deep-flavored result. Serve with a grilled cheese on the side for one of the most satisfying simple meals imaginable.

The Tuscan bread salad where stale bread soaks up the juices of tomatoes and a garlicky dressing to become something entirely new and wonderful. Patio tomatoes — smaller, denser, and full of flavor — work beautifully because they release their juice without becoming mushy. A great use for yesterday's bread.