I find that summer makes cooking creative and fun (albeit hot). Vegetables are in full supply, and the farmers market is the land of plenty.

By now, the produce I’ve waited months for is overflowing in my garden, and I suddenly find myself needing more recipes – especially for tomatoes.

This year, Austin leaned his cherry tomatoes against our arched tunnel trellis and let them climb. It seems they really enjoyed this structural support, as they’ve produced tons in comparison to our larger varieties, which have started to tip over their cages, branches cracking where they’re bending against the wire.

It’s likely those tomatoes will be pulled up this week since they’re slowing down significantly, and I certainly wouldn’t mind getting my pumpkins in the ground in their place. But even after they’re pulled up and put into the compost bin, I’ll still have a counter full of tomatoes in a variety of flavors, sizes, shapes and colors just waiting to be used. Because I figure you might be in the same boat as me, I decided to develop a recipe plan for these stragglers.

But first let me say… to the tomato-avoidant, I see you. While they’re most certainly tangy, juicy and undeniably “tomato-y,” they can also carry a certain unpredictability. Their flavor can range from bland to bitter or even sugary. Their texture can be firm or soft, their insides meaty or juicy. It’s hard to know what you have until you start cooking and sampling, and by then, you’ve committed.

After several tomato-filled summers, I have a few tips for those browsing farmers market stands and grocery story produce sections.

My first is to consider their size. Smaller tomatoes will be sweeter because they have less space for water to dilute their juices. They also have a higher peel-to-flesh ratio, and they’ll stay intact when you cook or marinate them. When you cut large tomatoes into cherry-sized bites for salads or pastas, they tend to get mushy, which isn’t always a pleasant texture.

Second, I recommend dressing tomatoes with lemon juice, regardless of the recipe. A lot of times we head toward vinegar, but I read a tip from Ali Slagle of NYT Cooking that lemon’s gentler acid enhances the brightness of tomatoes without overpowering their basic flavor. I recently tried dressing a tomato salad with lemon instead of the recipe’s called-for vinegar, and I was a big fan. You’ll see this tip play out in my first shared recipe of Slagle’s Tomato Salad.

Third — regardless of the recipe — if it’s going in the oven and there are lots of tomatoes, bake it low and slow. Tomatoes have a lot of water in them, and water doesn’t taste like much of anything. Baking low and slow allows that extra moisture to evaporate without burning, and you’re left with a tomato dish that’s savory and silky. If baked in a generous amount of oil or butter, the flavor concentrates. The low temperatures keep the fruit’s (yes, I said “fruit’s.” I’m not arguing about this one.) sugars from burning; instead, they’ll caramelize in spots. So yum. This tip is utilized in our final recipe, a baked tomato dish.

For my use-all-the-tomatoes-before-they-rot plan, I decided to make a fresh tomato salad, a roasted tomato tart and baked summer tomatoes.

TOMATO SALAD

Adapted from Ali Slagle
Yield: 4 servings

Starting with this very simple tomato salad: The minimal ingredients in this recipe really allow the tomato to be the star. Besides our superstar ingredient, salt is the most important element because it draws out the juices, leaving the tomato with more concentrated flavor. This salad is great on a grilling night with bread, fish, chicken or whatever you prefer.

Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot or red onion
Juice from 1 lemon (1 1/2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons)
1 1/2 to 2 pounds ripe tomatoes (such as three large or two pints)
Salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
20 basil leaves, torn if large

Directions
■ In a large bowl, stir together the shallot and lemon juice. Set aside while you cut the tomatoes.
■ Cut the tomatoes into bite-size pieces, adding them to the bowl as you go. Season generously with salt and stir to combine. Gently stir in the olive oil, followed by the basil. Season to taste with salt. Serve right away or let sit, stirring occasionally, for up to 30 minutes.

ROASTED TOMATO TART

Adapted from Alexa Weibel
Yield: 4 servings

This recipe is perfect for using smaller, sturdy tomatoes. I pulled it from Alexa Weibel’s collection of summer recipes. She said in her recipe tips that brushing the uncooked puff pastry with crème fraîche adds a “subtle tanginess that you won’t necessarily notice,” but the tomatoes will taste better for it. She also said don’t skip salting the tomatoes. Once again, salt helps prevent moisture from soaking into the pastry and creating a soggy mess.

Ingredients
4 small multicolored tomatoes, such as heirloom, Kumato or Campari (about 12 ounces total), sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 sheet packaged puff pastry, thawed (about 7 ounces)
3 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream
1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
Red pepper flakes, for garnish (optional)
3/4 cup fresh ricotta
Store-bought or homemade pesto, for drizzling
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish (optional)

Directions
■ Line a large baking sheet with paper towels. Set the sliced tomatoes on top in a single layer. In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Use it to season the tomatoes evenly on both sides. Cover with another paper towel and let sit for 15 minutes, allowing the salt to draw moisture out of the tomatoes.
■ As the tomatoes sit, heat the oven to 400 degrees and set a rack in the middle of the oven. Working on a large sheet of parchment paper, roll out the puff pastry into a 9-by-11-inch rectangle, trimming any uneven edges. Prick the inside with a fork every few inches, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Using a pastry brush, coat the center of the puff pastry with the crème fraîche, leaving the border unbrushed.
■ Working within the border, layer the tomatoes and red onion on top of the tart, allowing them to overlap slightly. Transfer to a sheet pan and bake, rotating halfway through, until the puff pastry is browned and puffed, 30 to 35 minutes.
■ Sprinkle the tomatoes with red pepper flakes, if using. Dollop with fresh ricotta. Thin the pesto with olive oil until it reaches a consistency suitable for drizzling, then drizzle over the tart to taste. Top with basil, if using, and serve warm or at room temperature.

BAKED SUMMER TOMATOES

Recipe from Edna Lewis
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

This final recipe is a great way to get through a ton of tomatoes. In her cookbook, “The Taste of Country Cooking,” Edna Lewis includes this dish of baked tomatoes in her menu for a summer dinner. Sweetened with sugar and thickened with pieces of buttered bread, it’s an unusual side dish that’s just as good when made with soft, overripe tomatoes as it is with perfect ones. When you use whatever you have on hand, you end up with a beautiful palette of tomatoes in one dish. Lewis’ original recipe calls for 3 1/2 tablespoons of sugar, but you can add less if you like. More sugar makes it taste like a sweet tomato jam. Less sugar is lighter and brighter.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small bits, plus more for the pan
3 1/2 to 4 cups (about 2 pounds) mixed cherry tomatoes and regular tomatoes (cherry tomatoes halved; larger tomatoes cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces)
2 slices stale sourdough bread, cut into 12 pieces
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon to 3 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
■ Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a 1-quart casserole dish (or an 8-by-8-inch baking dish).
■ In a saucepan, combine the tomatoes and 2 tablespoons water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook gently, stirring often, until most of the liquid evaporates, 5 to 15 minutes, depending on how juicy they are. They should soften but still more or less hold their shape.
■ Line the sides of the prepared pan with eight pieces of bread. Pour the stewed tomatoes and any liquid into the pan. Top the tomatoes with half of the butter and season with the salt, sugar and pepper. Place the four remaining pieces of bread on top, dotting each piece with the remaining butter.
■ Bake until the tomatoes are bubbling, about 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.