Search
Recipes, produce guides, seasonal articles, and Collective briefings — one place.
60 results for "tomatoes"
-
Guide
How to grow tomatoes at home
Growing tomatoes at home gets much easier when you focus on light, support, and steady watering instead of trying to master every tomato detail all at once.
-
ProduceThe Best Way to Store Tomatoes
Putting tomatoes in the fridge is one of the most common kitchen mistakes. Learn the right way to store them — whether they're ripe, unripe, or cut — so they stay flavorful and last longer.
-
ProduceWhat do tomatoes taste like? Types explained
Tomatoes can taste sweet, tangy, savory, or deeply rich depending on the type and ripeness. Knowing the basic tomato families makes it easier to buy and cook them well.
-
Guide
What to do with backyard tomatoes
Backyard tomatoes are usually more delicate and more abundant than store-bought ones, so the best use plan is the one that respects both. These ideas help you handle the rush without wasting your nicest fruit.
-
Guide
What to do with too many tomatoes
Too many ripe tomatoes is a good problem until the counter starts filling up. These are the easiest ways to use, cook, and preserve them before they split or soften.
-
Guide
When to pick tomatoes
Tomatoes are best picked when color, feel, and intended use line up. The perfect moment is not always the deepest possible color.
-
ProduceTomatoes
Tomatoes are the defining taste of summer — and the produce where supermarket shortcomings are most obvious. A local tomato in August is a different fruit entirely from a supermarket one.
-
RecipeFresh salsa with tomatoes
One of the fastest, best-tasting ways to use ripe summer tomatoes without turning on the oven — ripe tomatoes, a little sharpness, a little heat, and enough salt to bring it together.
-
Guide
How to make the most of tomato season
Tomato season is short and spectacular. This guide covers how to buy, store, cook, and preserve local tomatoes so you get the most out of every week of peak season.
-
RecipeFresh tomato pasta
A quick pasta sauce made from ripe tomatoes cooked briefly in olive oil with garlic — one of the simplest ways to make peak tomato season taste worth the wait.
-
RecipeClassic caprese salad
Ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and torn basil dressed with good olive oil and flaky salt — the summer salad that depends entirely on the produce.
-
RecipeSmashed new potatoes with herbs
Baby potatoes boiled tender, smashed flat, and roasted to crispy golden edges with garlic, butter, and fresh herbs — the viral side dish, done right.
-
RecipePasta primavera
Pasta tossed with spring's best vegetables — asparagus, peas, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes — in a light Parmesan cream sauce with lemon and herbs.
-
RecipeSheet pan salmon with asparagus
Flaky lemon-garlic salmon roasted with asparagus and cherry tomatoes on one pan — 20 minutes, one dish, a complete spring dinner.
-
Guide
What to Buy From Local Farms in Summer
Summer is peak season for local farms — tomatoes, corn, peppers, berries, and more are at their absolute best right now. Here's what to prioritize and why buying direct from a grower makes all the difference.
-
Guide
How to cook with squash, apples, sweet potatoes, and greens
Squash, apples, sweet potatoes, and fall greens are the backbone of autumn cooking — but knowing how to handle each one makes the difference between a good meal and a forgettable one.
-
ProduceThe best way to store potatoes, onions, and garlic
Potatoes, onions, and garlic all need cool, dark, and dry conditions — but keeping them together or in the wrong spot cuts their storage life dramatically. Here is what actually works.
-
Guide
What to do with potatoes
Potatoes hold well, but a big bag still goes faster when you treat it like meal prep instead of pantry decor. These ideas help you use more potatoes in ordinary, repeatable ways.
-
RecipeGrilled corn salsa
Charred sweet corn tossed with tomatoes, jalapeño, lime, and cilantro — a smoky summer salsa that goes with everything off the grill.
-
RecipeItalian pasta salad
A classic cold pasta salad with mozzarella, salami, olives, tomatoes, and a zesty Italian dressing — the BBQ and picnic staple that actually tastes better on day two.
-
ProduceSweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are a fall and winter staple with genuine variety differences that most cooks never discover. From the familiar Beauregard orange-fleshed type to Japanese purple varieties, the range in flavor and texture…
-
RecipePan-fried potatoes
Crispy skillet potatoes with a golden crust and tender center — useful for breakfast hash, a side dish, or clearing out a bag of potatoes before the week is over.
-
ProducePotatoes
The variety of potato you choose matters far more than most recipes acknowledge. A Russet, a Yukon Gold, and a waxy red potato behave completely differently in the same preparation — and a freshly dug new potato from a…
-
ProduceEggplant
Eggplant is a summer vegetable with tender flesh that becomes silky when cooked well. It loves oil, high heat, garlic, tomatoes, herbs, and smoky flavors.
-
RecipeRoasted sweet potatoes
A simple high-heat roasting method that caramelizes the edges and softens the center — one of the most useful building-block recipes for bowls, breakfasts, and meal prep.
-
Guide
Easy summer meals built around farm-fresh ingredients
Farm-fresh summer produce makes cooking easier, not harder. Here are simple, satisfying meal ideas built around what local farms have right now.
-
Guide
How to Preserve Summer Produce for Later
Summer gives you more great produce than you can eat right now. Here's how to freeze, pickle, and put up the best of the season so you're eating local food all winter long.
-
ProduceHow to Store Farm-Fresh Produce to Reduce Waste
Farm-fresh produce comes with different storage needs than grocery store produce. Knowing what goes in the fridge, what stays on the counter, and how to revive wilted greens can cut your waste in half.
-
ProduceWhat's the Shelf Life of Farm-Fresh Produce?
Farm-fresh produce and grocery store produce have different shelf lives — sometimes longer, sometimes shorter. Here's what to expect for common crops and how to extend it.
-
ProduceWhat is sweet potato and how to use it
Sweet potatoes are starchy, naturally sweet roots that work in both savory and sweet cooking. They are one of the easiest ingredients to meal-prep because they roast and reheat well.
-
RecipeBasic garden salad
A reliable way to turn mixed seasonal produce into a meal-ready bowl — structured around contrast: something crisp, something juicy, something flavorful, and a light dressing.
-
CollectiveWeekly Best Buys — April 17, 2026
Five things worth buying local this week. Asparagus is in, strawberries aren't, eggs are always right, and two more.
-
RecipeClassic shakshuka
Eggs poached in a spiced tomato-pepper stew with cumin, paprika, and fresh herbs — a one-skillet Middle Eastern breakfast that works for dinner, too.
-
RecipeQuinoa tabbouleh
A bright, herb-heavy salad with quinoa, tons of fresh parsley and mint, juicy tomato, cucumber, and a punchy lemon-olive oil dressing — the gluten-free twist on the Lebanese classic.
-
Guide
Why freshness matters more than perfect appearance
A perfectly shaped tomato picked two weeks ago beats a lumpy one picked yesterday in appearance — but not in any way that matters at the table. Here's why freshness is the quality indicator worth prioritizing.
-
Guide
Getting Started with Backyard Growing
Whether you have a sprawling yard or a small patio, you can start growing your own fresh food today. This beginner's guide walks you through everything you need to know.
-
CollectiveSpring Opportunities — what buyers want this season
Demand signals from local food buyers in April–June 2026. What categories will move, what pricing windows exist, and which opportunities to commit to this season.
-
CollectiveThe Farm Pricing Toolkit
Most local farms underprice by 15–30%. This is the framework to fix it — cost floor, value anchor, market check, test — plus a pricing worksheet for your top SKUs.
-
CollectiveThe Spring Local Buying Guide
What's actually worth buying local this spring — and what's not ready yet no matter what the sign says. A member's guide to eating well from April through early June.
-
Guide
A Beginner's Guide to Buying From Local Farms Online
Shopping directly from local farms and growers is easier than ever — but it can feel unfamiliar at first. Here's everything you need to know to get started confidently.
-
Guide
A week of family dinners built from local food
Planning a full week of family dinners around local ingredients is easier than it sounds. This guide walks through a practical approach to building satisfying meals from what small farms have available.
-
ProduceBasil
Basil is the signature summer herb — bright, aromatic, and versatile. Growing it at home is the easiest way to have a good herb on hand, but local farm basil at a farm stand beats supermarket plastic-pack herbs by a…
-
ProduceBell Peppers
Bell peppers are the same fruit at different stages of ripeness — green is unripe, red is fully ripe, and yellow and orange fall in between. That distinction explains nearly everything about how they taste and how to…
-
Guide
Best fall vegetables for roasting, soups, and meal prep
Fall vegetables are built for the way most people actually cook — roasting, simmering in soups, and prepping ahead. Here's which ones work best for each method and why.
-
Guide
Best foods to freeze, store, or preserve in fall
Fall is the best window to build a winter food supply from local farms. Some crops need nothing more than a cool shelf; others freeze or ferment beautifully with minimal effort.
-
Guide
Best pantry staples to pair with seasonal produce
A well-stocked pantry is the secret weapon that turns a farm box into a week of real meals. These are the staples that work with almost any seasonal produce, any time of year.
-
Guide
Best ways to use extra peaches, corn, cucumbers, and berries
Summer abundance means you will sometimes end up with more than you planned. Here are the best ways to use up extra peaches, corn, cucumbers, and berries before they go to waste.
-
Guide
Bulk Produce for Canning and Freezing — Is It Economical?
Buying bulk produce from local farms during peak season — for canning, freezing, and preserving — can be one of the best per-pound values in local food. Here's how the math works and where to start.
-
Guide
Buying Local Food for One Person vs a Family of Four
The economics and logistics of buying local food look very different depending on household size. Here's how to approach local food buying whether you're shopping for yourself or feeding a family.
-
Guide
Buying Local Produce vs Growing Your Own — Cost, Time, and Yield
Growing your own food is rewarding and can be cost-effective for specific crops. But for most households, a combination of home growing and buying local delivers the best outcomes on cost, variety, and effort.
-
Guide
Comfort meals built around local winter ingredients
Winter farm ingredients — root vegetables, dried beans, cured meats, and storage squash — are exactly what you need for the kind of slow, satisfying cooking the season calls for.
-
ProduceCorn
Sweet corn is a time-sensitive crop — the sugars in the kernels begin converting to starch the moment the ear is picked. Local corn eaten the day of harvest is a different vegetable than supermarket corn shipped from…
-
Guide
CSA vs Buying à la Carte: Which Is Better for You?
CSA shares offer commitment and value. Buying à la carte gives you control. Which works better depends on how your household actually eats — not on which model sounds more appealing in theory.
-
ProduceCucumbers
A good cucumber from a local farm in midsummer — thin-skinned, cool, and snappy — is a different experience from the waxed, seedy cylinders shipped year-round at supermarkets. Knowing what to look for makes the…
-
Guide
Easy meal ideas for a mixed farm box
A mixed farm box full of varied produce and proteins does not have to feel like a puzzle. These practical meal ideas help you turn an assortment of local ingredients into a week of dinners without overcomplicating…
-
Guide
Email Marketing Strategies for Farm Businesses
Email is one of the highest-return marketing channels for small farms — but only if you build the list and use it well. Here's a practical guide to email for direct-market farmers.
-
Guide
Family habits that make seasonal eating easier
Seasonal eating sounds appealing in theory but can feel hard to maintain with a busy family. The right small habits make it significantly more manageable over time.
-
Guide
Farm box vs traditional grocery delivery
Farm boxes and grocery delivery services both bring food to your door, but they work very differently. Here is a clear comparison to help you decide which fits your life.
-
Guide
Farmers Market vs Online Local Food Ordering
Farmers markets are beloved, but online local food ordering is changing the way people access fresh, local food. Here's how the two compare — and when each one makes sense.
-
Guide
First Time Buying From a Farm? Start Here
Buying directly from a farm for the first time can feel uncertain. This guide walks you through what to expect, what questions to ask, and how to get the most out of your first farm purchase.
