Welcome to Tomato Week!

We’ve waited all year for this: That first visit to the farmers’ market when the pale greens of spring give way to the jewel tones of summer. Ruby beefsteaks basking in the hot sun. Paper quarts overflowing with brassy Sun Golds. Heirlooms in every size and shape and shade of pink and purple and scarlet, Pantone mosaics spread across heaving card tables. Tomato season is the season, our season, the precious window that proves that anticipation really is the best sauce.

Okay, it’s not like we haven’t had tomatoes all year. We spent the winter patiently popping cans of crimson San Marzanos, maybe snuck a clamshell or two of ho-hum cherries from the supermarket in a pinch. But those were little more than reminders of the peak season to come—nothing compares to those first bites of real-deal, sun-ripened goodness. And no ingredient embodies so-good-you-barely-have-to-touch-it summer cooking quite like tomatoes. We’ll fan them out on platters with little more than a flurry of salt and some good olive oil. Layer fat slices onto fried bread slathered with mayo. Pop them straight from the pint until our mouths pucker. And once we’ve had our fill of the easy and the breezy, the real fun begins: We get to really cook.

Which is the reason we’re here. This week, we’re going all in on our favorite fruit, with a brand spanking new recipe each day from our test kitchen full of tomato enthusiasts. We’ve got weeknight dinners and weekend breakfasts, simple salads and baking projects—hell, we’ve even got a tomato-laced cocktail in the mix. These are the recipes that summer memories are made of.

Welcome to Tomato Week. We’re so glad to be here.