Our favorite dish using our garden ripened tomatoes is cold tomato pasta.  We did not originate the recipe; we saw it in the original  Food & Wine magazine and then adapted to our own taste.

It is really easy to make.

Ingredients for sauce:
4-6 medium size tomatoes, finely diced
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
one (or more to taste) garlic clove(s), minced
1/2 cup of fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons of fresh mint, chopped
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, freshly ground
pinch of cayenne pepper

   
Dice the tomatoes, chop the basil and mint, and mince the garlic.  Then mix all the ingredients together and let stand at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, or longer if in the refrigerator.  It is also delicious when served immediately.

To remove the garlic skin for mincing, place the clove under the face of a chef's knife, and press with the palm of your hand until the clove makes a slight cracking sound.  The skin will now peal easily.  Chop the clove with the chef's knife or put it in a garlic mincer.  I use a mincer because I believe the squishing of the clove breaks down membranes and activates juice that increases the garlic flavor.  If mincing with a knife, grind a little sea salt over the clove; it will help keep the pieces of garlic separate as they are minced, facilitating the mincing process.

Cheese topping:
8 oz. mozzarella or jack cheese, diced
1/2 cup of shredded or grated parmesan

Pasta:
1 pound of spaghetti or penne

About 10 minutes before meal time, cook the pasta until tender but firm to the bite (7 or 8 minutes), drain the pasta, return to the warm pan.  Moisten with some olive oil so pasta will not stick.

Put a portion of pasta on each plate, top with the sauce, and sprinkle with diced mozzarella (or jack) cheese and grated parmesan.  4 servings.

E-customer, Connie McKay, wrote with several suggestions.  Instead of mincing the garlic, she smashes it so she can remove it.  That way it will not become too garlicky if the tomatoes marinate too long or there is leftover sauce.  She also suggests adding some fresh rosemary and oregano.  When the marinating is almost done, she adds a little lemon juice to freshen the flavor.  That is when she adds most of the salt; she adds it then so it won't have time to "cook," that is to say, breakdown, the tomatoes.