Heirloom Tomato Flight
If you’re looking for the ultimate way to celebrate tomato season, this Heirloom Tomato Flight is it! Inspired by the viral tomato board trend, this stunning appetizer includes thick slices of peak-season heirloom tomatoes topped with (6) creative toppings like classic Caprese, burrata peach, and even avocado “toast”. It’s perfect for summer entertaining or serve as a fresh and easy no-cook meal!
I can’t think of a better way to enjoy beautiful summer heirloom tomatoes than with this Heirloom Tomato Flight! This was inspired by the viral tomato board trend, which was too fun for me to pass up.
This flight consists of thick slices of juicy heirloom tomatoes that are topped with (6) different toppings for the ultimate summer appetizer.
Flavors include classic Caprese, cottage cheese and za’atar seasoning, avocado “toast” with bacon, Greek, tuna salad, and my personal favorite, peach and burrata with tajin.
Aside from the bacon, this is an easy no cook summer appetizer. It also works well for lunch or dinner, especially on hot days.
This is truly one of the best heirloom tomato recipe ideas. 🙂
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This recipe is inspired by the viral heirloom tomato flight, and is a stunning way to enjoy peak-season heirloom tomatoes.
- Thick tomato slices are topped with (6) creative toppings for the ultimate no-cook summer dinner or appetizer.
- It’s perfect for entertaining, or for a fresh, simple summer dinner.
- It’s nutritious, delicious and easily customizable with your favorite ingredients.
Recipe ingredients
This tomato flight includes a variety of ingredients and toppings. The toppings can be made ahead of time or purchase pre-made ingredients at the store as a time saver.
- Heirloom tomatoes. You’ll need (4) large heirloom tomatoes. Choose different varieties/colors for a more colorful presentation or simply choose one of your favorites.
- Olive oil and flaky sea salt. A drizzle of good quality olive oil and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt make this flight next level.
- Caprese. Fresh mozzarella, fresh basil leaves, pesto sauce and optional balsamic glaze. Use store bought pesto sauce, or prepare my basil pesto sauce up to a few days in advance. You can also prepare this without pesto sauce like my caprese salad recipe.
- Tuna salad. Prepare a batch of my dill pickle tuna salad 1-2 days in advance. I love topping my tomato slices with dill pickle chips as well!
- Greek. My Greek tzatziki recipe makes a delicious topping for heirloom tomatoes along with sliced cucumber, red onion, kalamata olives and oregano. You can purchase store bought tzatziki as well, or sub it with crumbled feta cheese.
- Peach burrata. Fresh peach slices, a mini burrata or burratini, fresh basil leaves and tajin make this my favorite flavor. If you don’t have tajin, use chili lime seasoning or simply a dash of chili powder and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
- Cottage cheese. Top a dollop of cottage cheese with my favorite za’atar spice recipe or try it with everything bagel seasoning.
- Avocado “toast”. This one requires avocado, lime juice and cooked, crumbled bacon. Sub the bacon with a fried egg or your favorite avocado toast toppings.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to make a summer tomato board
This summer tomato board is extremely easy to prepare. Most of the toppings can be prepped in advance, then simply assemble right before serving.
Pro tip: For best results, assemble just before serving. Components may be prepped in advance to make assembly go much more quickly.
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
Prep the heirloom tomatoes
You’ll need to slice the heirloom tomatoes into thick slices, about 1/4″ thick. It’s important to blot them dry to remove excess moisture, then season them with flaky sea salt before adding the toppings.
Assemble the heirloom tomato flight
The tomatoes should be seasoned well with flaky sea salt prior to adding the toppings. Finish the assembled tomatoes with a drizzle of good quality olive oil and more salt and pepper as desired.
Recipe FAQs
A tomato flight is a sampler platter featuring slices of heirloom tomatoes topped with a variety of creative toppings. It’s perfect for summer entertaining or a light summer meal.
Use ripe heirloom tomatoes for your summer tomato flight. I recommend using large ones so that they can hold a decent amount of toppings, and using a variety of colors will really add to the presentation.
The majority of the toppings can be prepped in advance, but I don’t recommend slicing and assembling the tomatoes until just before serving so that they are at their freshest.
The sky is really the limit. This board includes Caprese, tuna salad, Greek, peach burrata, cottage cheese and avocado “toast”, but you can totally get creative.
Chicken salad, hummus, sandwich toppings and smoked salmon are all great ideas as well.
Serving suggestions
This tomato appetizer board can be served a variety of ways as follows:
- Serve it as a shareable appetizer or a simple, fresh summer dinner.
- Include a side of toasted bread (crostini) or crackers to round out the meal.
- Pair it with grilled meats or seafood for a more substantial meal.
- Other delicious topping ideas include curry chicken salad, canned salmon salad, whipped goat cheese and white bean hummus. My smoked salmon appetizer toppings would work well here also!
Recipe notes
- Pro tip: For best results, assemble the heirloom tomato flight and serve immediately. Components can be prepped in advance to make assembly go very quickly!
- Swap out the tuna salad with my canned salmon salad, or simply top your tomato with your favorite lunch meat, sliced cheese and mustard.
- Sub the tzatziki with prepared hummus or 2 Tablespoons of crumbled feta cheese.
- This recipe can be easily scaled to feed a crowd.
More tomato recipes you’ll love
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
Heirloom Tomato Flight
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 large heirloom tomatoes
- flaky sea salt for sprinkling
- olive oil for drizzling
Caprese
- 2 tablespoons pesto sauce homemade or store bought
- 2 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
- 2 large fresh basil leaves whole or chopped into a chiffonade
- balsamic glaze, for drizzling optional
Tuna salad
- 4 dill pickle chips
- 1/2 cup dill pickle tuna salad see note 2
Greek
- 6 slices cucumber
- 6 tablespoons Greek tzatziki homemade or store bought; see note 3
- 1 teaspoon freshly chopped oregano plus more for topping; sub with dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon chopped red onion
- 4 Kalamata olives halved
Peach burrata
- 6 slices peach
- 1 mini burrata ball sold as "burratini"
- 6 small basil leaves
- tajin for sprinkling; sub with honey as desired
Cottage cheese
- 6 tablespoons cottage cheese
- za'atar spice for sprinkling; sub with everything bagel seasoning or your favorite seasoning
Avocado "toast" with bacon
- 1/2 large avocado mashed
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 2 slices cooked bacon crumbled
Instructions
- Slice the top off of each heirloom tomato and cut each one into (3) thick slices (you'll have 12 slices). Place them in paper towels and blot them dry to remove excess moisture. Season each slice generously with flaky sea salt.4 large heirloom tomatoes, flaky sea salt
For the Caprese:
- Top (2) tomato slices with 1 tablespoon pesto each, followed by 1 slice of fresh mozzarella and basil. Drizzle with balsamic glaze or olive oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste.olive oil, 2 tablespoons pesto sauce, 2 slices fresh mozzarella cheese, 2 large fresh basil leaves, balsamic glaze, for drizzling
For the Tuna salad:
- Top (2) tomato slices with (2) dill pickle slices (sub with lettuce or cucumber as desired). Top with the tuna salad followed by freshly ground black pepper and chopped fresh herbs or chives as desired.4 dill pickle chips, 1/2 cup dill pickle tuna salad
For the Greek:
- Top (2) tomato slices with the cucumber slices, followed by the tzatziki. Top the tzatziki with diced red onion, Kalamata olives and freshly chopped or dried oregano.6 slices cucumber, 6 tablespoons Greek tzatziki, 1 teaspoon freshly chopped oregano, 1 tablespoon chopped red onion, 4 Kalamata olives
For the Peach burrata:
- Top (2) tomato slices with the peach slices, then break the mini burrata ball in half and divide it between the tomato slices. Sprinkle tajin over the top and top with fresh basil leaves.6 slices peach, 1 mini burrata ball, 6 small basil leaves, tajin
For the Cottage cheese:
- Top (2) tomato slices with the cottage cheese, followed by the za'atar seasoning or your favorite seasoning. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil as desired.6 tablespoons cottage cheese, za'atar spice
For the Avocado "toast" with bacon
- Mash the avocado in a small bowl. Add the lime juice and salt and pepper and stir well to combine. Top the remaining (2) slices of tomato with the mashed avocado, drizzle with olive oil, and top with the crumbled bacon.1/2 large avocado, 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, 2 slices cooked bacon
- Serve the heirloom tomato flight immediately on a large board or platter
Notes
- Pro tip: For best results, assemble the heirloom tomato flight and serve immediately. Components can be prepped in advance to make assembly go very quickly!
- Swap out the tuna salad with my canned salmon salad, or simply top your tomato with your favorite lunch meat, sliced cheese and mustard.
- Sub the tzatziki with prepared hummus or 2 Tablespoons of crumbled feta cheese.
- This recipe can be easily scaled to feed a crowd.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
