7 Fresh Tomato Recipes from Birmingham Chefs
It's that time of year again! Tomatoes are taking center stage, and Birmingham chefs are sharing their favorite ways to make the most of peak tomato season. Whether you're working with cherry tomatoes, heirlooms, or classic garden varieties, these seven fresh tomato recipes from BHAM culinary pros prove just how versatile this summer staple can be.
Masala Tomato Salad
The Masala Tomato Salad takes the familiar tomato salad and turns it into something truly special. Infused with a fragrant garam masala chili oil made from scratch with spices like cumin, cardamom, and turmeric, this salad delivers complex flavors that perfectly balance the fresh tomatoes and crisp cucumbers.
Layered with a tangy vinaigrette and a creamy turmeric yogurt dressing, it's an elevated take that's well worth the effort — and one that will leave your dinner guests genuinely impressed! Get the recipe HERE.
Pin
Tomato Tart
Don't let the ingredient list fool you; this tomato tart is easier to make than it looks and is well worth the effort. Juicy heirloom tomatoes are the star of the show, layered with a savory mix of melty mozzarella and Parmesan. A quick sauté of onions adds extra flavor, and a handful of fresh herbs keeps things bright. It's perfect for summer gatherings, special occasions, or just because tomatoes are too good to pass up right now. Get the recipe HERE.
Pin
Mini Tomato and Bacon Pies
If anything makes tomatoes taste even better, it's bacon. Adding freshly cooked, crumbled bacon takes this classic tomato pie to the next level, making it the perfect savory treat to enjoy all summer long. Get the recipe HERE.
Pin
Fresh Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
Tre Luna Bar & Kitchen's Fresh Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce is the kind of recipe that captures everything we love about summer: simple ingredients, bold flavors, and just the right amount of rustic charm. Made with peak-season cherry tomatoes, whole garlic cloves, and a touch of heat from arbol chili, this sauce simmers into something magical. Get the recipe HERE.
Pin
Heirloom Tomato with Aged Goat Cheese, Benne Seed Crisp & Charred Basil-Sherry Vinaigrette
Tomato and goat cheese are a classic summer power couple. Something about the creamy tang of the goat cheese perfectly complements the acidity of the tomato, and Chef Jacobi Williams at Automatic Seafood and Oysters paired them with a benne seed crisp that takes it to a whole new level with a delicious crunch. Get the recipe HERE.
Pin
Tomato Pie
Helen's tomato pie is everything you want in a summer dish. It's simple, satisfying, and bursting with seasonal flavor. With just three ingredients — ripe tomatoes, pimento cheese, and a golden pie shell — it's the kind of recipe that lets the produce shine. Even better, most of it can be made ahead of time, making it perfect for easy entertaining or a laid-back weekend dinner. Serve it warm or at room temp and let summer's best ingredient do all the talking. Get the recipe HERE.
Pin
Taziki's Tomato Cucumber Salad
Taziki's Tomato Cucumber Salad is a crisp, flavor-packed side that's basically summer in a bowl. With fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, fragrant basil, and a tangy Greek-seasoned vinaigrette, it's the kind of no-fuss, make-ahead dish perfect for cookouts, picnics, or weeknight dinners on the porch. Get the recipe HERE.
Pin
Dig in!
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About the Author Paige Townley
Paige Townley is a Birmingham native with a soft spot for good stories, interesting people, and beautifully made things. When she's not writing about places that inspire or people who shine, she's likely spending time with her family, planning her next adventure, or cheering on the Crimson Tide.
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Style Blueprint
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7 Fresh Tomato Recipes from Birmingham Chefs
Share with your friends! Pinterest LinkedIn Email Flipboard Reddit It's that time of year again! Tomatoes are taking center stage, and Birmingham chefs are sharing their favorite ways to make the most of peak tomato season. Whether you're working with cherry tomatoes, heirlooms, or classic garden varieties, these seven fresh tomato recipes from BHAM culinary pros prove just how versatile this summer staple can be. Masala Tomato Salad The Masala Tomato Salad takes the familiar tomato salad and turns it into something truly special. Infused with a fragrant garam masala chili oil made from scratch with spices like cumin, cardamom, and turmeric, this salad delivers complex flavors that perfectly balance the fresh tomatoes and crisp cucumbers. Layered with a tangy vinaigrette and a creamy turmeric yogurt dressing, it's an elevated take that's well worth the effort — and one that will leave your dinner guests genuinely impressed! Get the recipe HERE. Pin Tomato Tart Don't let the ingredient list fool you; this tomato tart is easier to make than it looks and is well worth the effort. Juicy heirloom tomatoes are the star of the show, layered with a savory mix of melty mozzarella and Parmesan. A quick sauté of onions adds extra flavor, and a handful of fresh herbs keeps things bright. It's perfect for summer gatherings, special occasions, or just because tomatoes are too good to pass up right now. Get the recipe HERE. Pin Mini Tomato and Bacon Pies If anything makes tomatoes taste even better, it's bacon. Adding freshly cooked, crumbled bacon takes this classic tomato pie to the next level, making it the perfect savory treat to enjoy all summer long. Get the recipe HERE. Pin Fresh Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce Tre Luna Bar & Kitchen's Fresh Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce is the kind of recipe that captures everything we love about summer: simple ingredients, bold flavors, and just the right amount of rustic charm. Made with peak-season cherry tomatoes, whole garlic cloves, and a touch of heat from arbol chili, this sauce simmers into something magical. Get the recipe HERE. Pin Heirloom Tomato with Aged Goat Cheese, Benne Seed Crisp & Charred Basil-Sherry Vinaigrette Tomato and goat cheese are a classic summer power couple. Something about the creamy tang of the goat cheese perfectly complements the acidity of the tomato, and Chef Jacobi Williams at Automatic Seafood and Oysters paired them with a benne seed crisp that takes it to a whole new level with a delicious crunch. Get the recipe HERE. Pin Tomato Pie Helen's tomato pie is everything you want in a summer dish. It's simple, satisfying, and bursting with seasonal flavor. With just three ingredients — ripe tomatoes, pimento cheese, and a golden pie shell — it's the kind of recipe that lets the produce shine. Even better, most of it can be made ahead of time, making it perfect for easy entertaining or a laid-back weekend dinner. Serve it warm or at room temp and let summer's best ingredient do all the talking. Get the recipe HERE. Pin Taziki's Tomato Cucumber Salad Taziki's Tomato Cucumber Salad is a crisp, flavor-packed side that's basically summer in a bowl. With fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, fragrant basil, and a tangy Greek-seasoned vinaigrette, it's the kind of no-fuss, make-ahead dish perfect for cookouts, picnics, or weeknight dinners on the porch. Get the recipe HERE. Pin Dig in! ********** Give your inbox the Southern makeover it deserves — subscribe to StyleBlueprint! About the Author Paige Townley Paige Townley is a Birmingham native with a soft spot for good stories, interesting people, and beautifully made things. When she's not writing about places that inspire or people who shine, she's likely spending time with her family, planning her next adventure, or cheering on the Crimson Tide.
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Blame Reese Witherspoon? How Boy Names Go Girl (and Never Come Back)
Share with your friends! Pinterest LinkedIn Email Flipboard Reddit I've always been fascinated by names. Maybe it's because my name is one that has been passed down for hundreds of years on my mom's side of my family, and I love that. It connects me to the past in a tangible and emotional way. While thinking through the history of names, I've often wondered what happened to names more prevalent for men in my parents' generation that have all but disappeared, at least for men. Frances, Meredith, Stacey, and Ashley were all once exclusively male names! These names, which most of us now associate with our girlfriends, sisters, and daughters, once belonged solely to the boys' club. It's not just a random coincidence, either — it's part of a documented cultural pattern that's been happening for centuries. Here's the kicker: This gender shift almost always goes in one direction. A traditionally male name starts appearing on birth certificates for baby girls, thus beginning a slow migration. This name eventually becomes so 'feminized' that parents stop using it for boys altogether. Sociologists call this 'gender contamination' (harsh term, I know), suggesting that once a name gets feminine associations, parents of boys dismiss it. Beverly, Evelyn, Kelly, Leslie, Lindsay, Shannon, Whitney … all originally boy names! Take Ashley — a common female name for the past few decades. This name started as an Old English surname meaning 'ash tree clearing' and stayed firmly in the men's department until the 1960s. Remember Ashley Wilkes in Gone with the Wind? It's classic male Ashley. Fast-forward to the 1980s, and Ashley was topping the charts for girls while virtually disappearing for boys. And Frances — originally from Latin for 'Frenchman' (ironic, right?). The feminine spelling gradually overtook the masculine, with boys more likely to go by Frank these days. Meredith meant 'great lord' in Welsh, while Stacey comes from Greek roots meaning 'resurrection.' The list goes on: Beverly, Evelyn, Kelly, Leslie, Lindsay, Shannon, Whitney — all originally boy names! This trend really took off in the 20th century as traditional gender roles started shifting. What's telling to me is how rarely names move in the opposite direction. In fact, I can't find one name that has gone from primarily being a 'female' name to a 'male' name. When's the last time you met a baby boy named Elizabeth or Charlotte? This one-way street reflects something deeper about how we value gender in our society — once something becomes associated with femininity, it often loses status in the eyes of many. Many may eye-roll at this: 'There goes another woman talking about how society is set up to diminish women. Blah, blah, blah.' But it's hard to argue this societal take on names. The name Reese is shifting in real time … Pin My middle daughter is named Reese. It's a family surname, and like I mentioned at the beginning of this article, I love connecting family names to past generations. I did not realize how trendy this name was becoming when we named her in 2001. But, when considering the name, I definitely had the thought, Reese Witherspoon has this name, and she's female. We aren't the first to do this.' But now I see the name Reese is predominantly given to girls. The overall name migration I'm talking about is happening here in real time. Reese was originally a Welsh surname (from 'Rhys' meaning 'enthusiasm'). It was given almost exclusively to boys until the 1990s. And yes, that famous 'Reese' seems to be the catalyst that changed everything. As Reese Witherspoon's star rose in Hollywood, so did the name's popularity for baby girls. The statistics tell the story dramatically: In 2000, about 650 baby boys in America were named Reese while fewer than 100 baby girls received the name. By 2010, the tables had turned, with approximately 850 girls to 550 boys. Fast-forward to 2023, and the ratio stands at nearly 5:1 in favor of girls (about 1,400 girls to 300 boys annually). In 2023, 'Reese' was the 168th most popular name for girls but had fallen to 811th for boys. And, this shift has happened over just two decades compared to the centuries-long migrations of names like Frances. The traditional Welsh spelling 'Rhys,' meanwhile, remains predominantly male, showing how even spelling variants can resist the feminization tide. Next time you're debating baby names (or just playing the name game over brunch with friends), remember that today's firmly feminine name might have been yesterday's decidedly masculine moniker. And who knows what changes the future might bring? ********** Enjoy a fun 'me moment' in your inbox each day – sign up for StyleBlueprint emails! About the Author Liza Graves As CEO of StyleBlueprint, Liza also regularly writes for SB. Most of her writing is now found in the recipe archives as cooking is her stress relief!
