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    Sungrown Kitchen » Garden

    Published: Mar 24, 2025 by Meryl Downing Leave a Comment

    21 Ways to Use Garden Tomatoes without Canning

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    Got more Garden Tomatoes than you know what to do with? That's our favorite problem to have! By late August, we are putting garden fresh tomatoes in everything! Use your tomatoes fresh, or freeze them to preserve your harvest, all without the rules and work of canning!

    A basket full of garden tomatoes sitting outside.

    Whether you're drowning in cherry tomatoes, sauce-type tomatoes, or bigger juicy slicers, we've got lots of tomato-heavy recipes to use them up!

    If you're like me and want to avoid the whole canning process, these recipes use a large amount of fresh tomatoes, or utilize your freezer to preserve your harvest all winter!

    From soups to salsas, appetizers to pastas to garden tomato-inspired dinners, these ideas are all about celebrating fresh summer home-grown tomatoes! Make your tomato haul shine, no mason jars required! Try these 24 Summer Salad Recipes, great for cherry tomatoes!

    If you've got lots of garden vegetables, check out these 15 Ways to Use Garden Fresh Zucchini, 8 Ways to Use Garden Green Beans, and 14 Ways to Use Garden Kale too!

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    Ways to Use Garden Tomatoes without Canning

    1
    Roasted tomato and garlic soup on a cutting board with grilled cheese.
    Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
    Roasted Tomato Basil Soup is the most delicious way to use those beautiful garden tomatoes! Bold rich flavor from the roasted tomatoes and garlic is blended with fresh basil and a touch of cream, perfect for grilled cheese dunking! Freeze extra tomato soup and preserve your tomato harvest all winter!
    Tomato Basil Soup Recipe
    2
    A bowl of pizza sauce from fresh garden tomatoes with basil.
    Freezer Pizza Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes
    Preserve your garden fresh tomatoes with jars of Pizza Sauce for the Freezer! This basic roasted tomato sauce uses up 4 pounds of fresh tomatoes, with garlic, onions, and lots of fresh basil. Makes 4 pint jars to use on Homemade Pizza, pasta, plus lots of other versatile ideas!
    Pizza Sauce Recipe
    3
    Fresh tomato salsa in a bowl with chips.
    Garden Fresh Salsa
    When your garden is bursting with late summer tomatoes, make this Garden Fresh Salsa! This recipe uses 2 pounds of fresh tomatoes, plus any sweet and spicy peppers that may be hanging out in the garden! Garlic, lime and cilantro make this pico de gallo style salsa everybody's favorite!
    Garden Fresh Salsa Recipe
    4
    Jars of freezer tomato sauce with fresh basil.
    Freezer Marinara Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes
    This Homemade Freezer Marinara Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes is perfect for what to do with so many tomatoes and herbs from the garden! This simple freezer tomato sauce is delicious, easy and can be used for any amount of tomatoes you have. Stock your freezer for pizza, pasta and so many recipes!
    Freezer Marinara Sauce Recipe
    5
    Bowl of summer panzanella salad with feta, cucumber and basil.
    Panzanella Bread Salad with Cherry Tomatoes
    The perfect summer salad, this Panzanella Bread Salad with Cherry Tomatoes is full of fresh flavor! A twist on the Italian classic, this salad is run through the garden with juicy tomatoes, cucumber, basil, red onion, kalamata olives, feta cheese and tangy white wine vinaigrette! You'll want to make this one all summer long!
    Panzanella Salad Recipe
    6
    White bean cassoulet with sausage links in a tomato broth.
    Garden Tomato White Bean Cassoulet with Sausage
    Garden Tomato White Bean Cassoulet with Italian Sausage is inspired by the classic French dish, while using lots of fresh tomatoes, bell pepper, kale and herbs from the end-of-season garden harvest. Italian sausage links are seared with the veggies, then simmered with white beans in a rich tomato broth, for a cozy bowl to mop up with lots of crusty bread!
    White Bean Cassoulet Recipe
    7
    Green bean salad with cherry tomatoes, feta, red onion, and a jar of homemade vinaigrette dressing.
    Green Bean Salad with Tomato and Feta
    Green Bean Salad with Tomato and Feta is a an all new way to enjoy those over flowing garden green beans! Just 10 minutes to put together, a quick blanch of the green beans pairs with cherry tomatoes, red onion, feta cheese and lots of fresh herbs in a tangy vinaigrette. You'll want to make this salad all summer!
    Green Bean Salad Recipe
    8
    Bruschetta with cherry tomatoes on a wooden plank serving board with a bowl of extra topping.
    Bruschetta with Cherry Tomatoes
    Bruschetta with Cherry Tomatoes is a summer classic when garden tomatoes are perfectly ripe, basil is overflowing its pot, and appetizers are eaten on the patio! This 10 minute appetizer is easy to throw together, and perfect for any summer occasion.
    Cherry Tomato Bruschetta Recipe
    9
    Bowl of white bean bruschetta surrounded by a plate of toasted crostini bread.
    White Bean Bruschetta
    White Bean Bruschetta is a delicious spin on the classic appetizer! Loaded with flavor, toasted crostini is piled with roasted bell pepper, garlic, tomato, capers, fresh basil and white beans! It's great in the summer when tomato and basil are in season, but since the white beans are the main component, it's really an easy appetizer year round!
    White Bean Bruschetta Recipe
    10
    Grilled corn and peach salsa.
    Peach Corn Salsa
    Peach Corn Salsa is like capturing summer in a bowl! It's gorgeously colorful, highlighting seasonal ripe peaches, grilled sweet corn on the cob, and bright cilantro and lime! It's healthy and delicious dipped with chips, or as a topper for tacos, rice bowls, burritos or salads!
    Peach Corn Salsa Recipe
    11
    A bowl of white bean salad with sun-dried tomatoes, arugula and feta.
    White Bean Salad
    Tomato Feta White Bean Salad is a protein-packed yet light summer salad with both garden fresh cherry tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes. Tossed with spicy arugula, feta cheese and a simple vinaigrette, it's ready in just 10 minutes!  It makes the perfect dinner side dish with grilled chicken, burgers, or sausages and is a great meal prep lunch!
    White Bean Salad Recipe
    12
    Creamy gnocchi with goat cheese and lots of garden vegetables.
    Italian Sausage Gnocchi Skillet
    Italian Sausage Gnocchi Skillet with Spinach and Cherry Tomatoes is an easy 25 minute dinner, loaded with fresh garden veggies and amazing Italian flavor! It all comes together in a skillet with bell peppers, pine nuts and crumbled goat cheese for a delicious creamy coating!
    Italian Sausage Gnocchi Skillet Recipe
    13
    Mediterranean Orzo Salad
    Lemon Feta Orzo Salad with pine nuts
    Lemon Feta Orzo Salad is the perfect side dish to your summer cook out, or a great meal prep for healthy lunches! This colorful lemon orzo salad with pine nuts is loaded with tomato, kalamata olives, bell pepper, artichokes, chickpeas, feta cheese and lots of greens! Full of fresh Mediterranean flavor, it feeds a crowd and is perfect when you can't decide "What should I bring?"
    Orzo Pasta Salad Recipe
    14
    A bowl of spaghetti with prosciutto, olives, and basil tomato sauce.
    Prosciutto Pasta with Artichokes and Olives
    This Mediterranean inspired Prosciutto Pasta with Artichokes and Olives is bursting with fresh bold ingredients! This simple sauce is ready in just 30 minutes and is loaded with juicy cherry tomatoes, basil, kalamata and green olives, garlic, red bell peppers, and lots of crumbled feta cheese.
    Prosciutto Pasta Recipe
    15
    Peach Caprese Salad topped with cherry tomatoes and basil.
    Peach Caprese Salad
    Peach Caprese Salad brings out the best in those summer ripe peaches! The classic caprese flavors with fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and basil get a sweet and savory twist with fresh peaches and a honey balsamic dressing! The peach tomato combination is absolutely delicious and ready in just 15 minutes!
    Peach Caprese Salad Recipe
    16
    Pink harvest pasta in a fresh tomato cream sauce.
    Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta
    Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta is our favorite way to use all those garden tomatoes! Fresh tomatoes and cream form this Italian "pink" sauce with garlic, basil, and other garden extras like onion and zucchini. Add a protein or keep it vegetarian, this simple creamy tomato basil sauce is full of summer garden flavor and ready in 25 minutes!
    Tomato Basil Pasta Recipe
    17
    Cherry tomatoes mixed with black and green olives, feta cheese and basil with dressing.
    Marinated Olives with Feta and Cherry Tomatoes
    Marinated Olives with Feta and Cherry Tomatoes is a quick and simple side salad or an appetizer with crusty bread. Kalamata and Castelvetrano Olives are tossed with cherry tomatoes and crumbled feta in a light vinaigrette with fresh basil! It's the perfect addition to lots of occasions any time of year and ready in 10 minutes!
    Marinated Olives and Feta Recipe
    18
    Garden BLT's with pesto aioli and extra veggies on ciabatta bread.
    Garden BLT with Pesto Aioli
    Garden BLT's with Pesto Aioli are a veggie-packed twist on a favorite classic sandwich! Go way beyond just bacon, lettuce, and tomato with cucumber, avocado, cheese and a homemade pesto aioli to add all those nutritious greens from the garden harvest! This hearty pesto BLT is a summer favorite!
    Garden BLT Recipe
    19
    A top down shot of a bowl of food processor pico de gallo salsa.
    Cherry Tomato Pico De Gallo for the Freezer
    Cherry Tomato Pico de Gallo for the Freezer is the perfect garden tomato use-up recipe for all those extra cherry tomatoes! It's the freshest salsa, made in the food processor in under a minute, with extra to stock away in your freezer. It's perfect for snacking with chips or added to any taco night!
    Cherry Tomato Pico de Gallo Recipe
    20
    Homemade pizza on a cutting board with pepperoni, cheese and veggies.
    Homemade Pizza
    Use cherry tomatoes as a topping for homemade pizza night, or even use thinly sliced tomatoes AS the sauce!
    Homemade Pizza Recipe
    21
    A bowl of peach tomato salsa with tortilla chips.
    Roasted Peach Tomato Salsa
    Roasted Peach Tomato Salsa takes fresh summer peaches and garden tomatoes and intensifies their flavor into a roasted sweet and spicy salsa everyone will love! This quick roasted salsa is delicious with chips or spooned over fish tacos or rice bowls!
    Peach Tomato Salsa Recipe

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    Welcome to Sungrown Kitchen!

    Hey guys!  I'm Meryl, chef, gardener, and mother of two little Minnesotans.  The Sungrown Kitchen combines two of my favorite things that naturally go hand in hand...cooking and gardening (read more)

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