If I let the summer pass without a tomato page, I'd be disobeying one of the prime directives of the International Society of Healthy Cooks. These three stunning side dishes are great all year round, but sparkle most when their main ingredient is in its prime.

Grilled Corn & Tomato Salsa

Total time: 30 minutes.

No grill? You can broil the corn and peppers instead. For a hotter salsa, use 1 or 2 jalapeños instead of the poblano. For a "no chili" taste, replace the poblanos with 1 green bell pepper.

Heat a grill over high heat. Once hot, scrub and oil the grate. Grill the corn and peppers until charred in places, about 5 minutes, then remove from the grill and allow to cool.

Cut the corn from the cobs. Remove and discard the stems and seeds from the poblano and red peppers, then dice the peppers.

In a large bowl, toss the corn and peppers with the remaining ingredients.

White Beans with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Total time: 20 minutes.

Roasting the tomatoes brings out their tart-sweet juiciness. But if you don't want to turn on the oven, sauté the tomatoes and garlic in the oil with ½ tsp. of fresh thyme leaves instead.

Preheat the oven to 425° F.

In a 9" x 13" baking dish, toss the tomatoes, garlic, and thyme with the oil. Roast until the tomatoes start to brown and the garlic is tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove and discard the thyme sprigs.

Toss the beans with the tomatoes and garlic. Season with the salt and pepper.

Pearl Barley & Marinated Tomatoes

Total Time: 30 minutes

We used a mix of yellow and red heirloom tomatoes, but you can use any kind, as long as they're ripe and tasty. If you don't have pearl barley, try bulgur or brown rice.

In a large pot of water, boil the barley until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.

While the barley is cooking, toss the tomatoes with the remaining ingredients and set aside.

When the barley is done, mix with the marinated tomatoes.