Tomatoes And Peaches Are The Ultimate Duo For End-Of-Summer Treats

Tomatoes and peaches are classic examples of what grows together, goes together. Hitting their stride in late summer, each ingredient offers wonderfully intense flavors, juicy textures, and aesthetic appeal to any dish. With so much in common, there's no reason why you should keep colorful heirlooms and sun-kissed peaches separate. Make the most of summer's bounty and pair them together before the season slips away.

While every varietal boasts its own unique characteristics, tomatoes and peaches generally share similar flavor profiles. Where tomatoes are fairly acidic with some slight sweetness, peaches are instead sweeter with a mildly sour tang. Likewise, both have a fruity quality that makes them a great match for one another, even if tomatoes border on vegetal and peaches veer towards floral. That said, their contrasting characteristics also make them a stellar pairing. Since tomatoes have nuanced traces of umami, they can balance the saccharine nature of peaches.

Whether you pluck the produce from your backyard garden or shop the cornucopia of offerings from the farmer's market is up to you. So long as you have the ripest tomatoes and peaches in tow, there are endless ways to blend these summery ingredients together.

Tomatoes and peaches can be used in many culinary applications, and paying attention to varietal can help determine which will be better suited for certain dishes. For example, heirloom tomatoes and heirloom peaches both have a candy-like taste, making them ideal for desserts. Alternatively, you might want to mix and match a honeyed cocktail tomato with a tart Babcock peach, or a bitter green tomato with a sugary Elberta peach for increased complexity. As for how to combine the produce ...

Starting with savory recipes, add the two ingredients to crostini, pizzas, and sandwiches — peach BLT, anyone? Peaches can also bring a subtly saccharine element to salads like caprese or panzanella. Likewise, ratatouille, gazpacho, and pasta sauce can soar to new heights with summery peaches. Not to mention how well the pair can complement decadent ingredients, cutting through the richness of a goat cheese tart or creamy burrata. Their combined sweet-and-sour profile can also make for a tasty, tangy relish to serve with grilled meats.

For sweeter ways to join tomatoes and peaches, jam is always a good idea for preserving the flavors of summer. The duo can be used to make cobblers and pies, with tomatoes nixing the need for any citrus. Conversely, syrupy peaches and succulent tomatoes can be blended to make granita, smoothies, or even cocktails. With so many delicious ways to join tomatoes and peaches, you can't go wrong!