Every summer for the past five years or so, a group of friends and I make a date to meet in Ojai to celebrate tomato season with a multi course dinner that features the seasonal treat in as many dishes as possible. Read on for some of the recipes we've put to the test during what we call Tomatofest.

CROSTINI WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO JAM

Wendy Noda of Port Hueneme kicked off Tomatofest 2007 with her variation on an appetizer by Food Network personality Giada De Laurentiis.

For the jam:

1 8-ounce jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped, oil reserved

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 cup water

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the crostini:

1 baguette, cut into 3/4-inch slices

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

5 ounces goat cheese, room temperature

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

To make the jam: Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of the reserved sun-dried tomato oil, olive oil, onion, and garlic. Stir and cook until the onions are soft and beginning to brown at the edges, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the sugar, vinegar, water, chicken broth, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and continue simmering until most of the liquid is reduced and the mixture is the consistency of jam, about 5 to 10 more minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

To make the crostini: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the baguette slices on the baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat the baguette slices with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until lightly toasted, about 8 minutes.

To prepare the goat cheese: Place the soft goat cheese in a small bowl. Stir in the thyme.

To assemble: Spread a little goat cheese on each crostini and top with a spoonful of jam. Transfer to a serving plate and serve.

Ceviche Shooters with Heirloom Tomato Gelee

Among the starters at Tomatofest 2005 was this appetizer I devised after tasting a similar dish at a fundraiser in Los Angeles. Individual shooters can be "built" in small plastic sauce cups available at Smart & Final.

For the ceviche:

2 pounds whitefish, such as local halibut or orange roughy, cut into filets

Juice of 6 limes

Juice of 3 lemons

Juice of 3 oranges

1 extra each lime, lemon and orange

3 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 red onion, diced

1 jalapeño pepper, diced

For the gelee:

6 or 7 medium size heirloom tomatoes, or enough to produce about 4 cups of juice

Juice of one lemon

Several cranks of black pepper from your pepper mill

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

3 packets unflavored gelatin

You also will need:

Basil olive oil

Small plastic sauce cups

Fresh basil leaves for garnish

To make the ceviche: Rinse filets in running water, then pat dry, feeling for any bones. Cut into bite-sized or smaller cubes/pieces and place in a bowl. Cover fish with the citrus juices, salt, pepper and white wine vinegar. Let stand about six hours, or overnight, in the refrigerator.

Drain liquid from the fish. Taste one of the pieces. If it's too vinegary for your liking, add the juice of some of the extra citrus.

Pour boiling water over the diced onion and drain. Add a small handful of the onion to the fish and stir to distribute. Add a couple of pinches of diced jalapeño, for a scattering of color and a little taste. Let sit in the refrigerator before draining off any liquid and assembling the shooters.

To make the gelee: Cut the tomatoes into wedges or a large dice and plop into a sieve, pushing on the pieces to force juice into a bowl placed underneath. Reserve skins and pulp for some future pasta dish.

Put tomato juice in a non-reactive pan. Add lemon juice, pepper and salt and heat until it comes to a gentle bowl. Keep it there to reduce the liquid, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.

Place gelatin powder in a shallow, heat-resistant plastic dish or tray. Pour hot tomato liquid over the powder and stir to dissolve. Refrigerate until gelled, then cut tomato gelee, or gelatin, into little cubes, about 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch square. Reserve until ready to make the shooters.

To assemble the shooters: Drizzle a few drops of basil olive oil into the bottom of each plastic cup. Add a teaspoon or more of ceviche. Top with a scattering of tomato gelee cubes. Drizzle with a few more drops of basil olive oil. Garnish with a fresh basil leaf.

Skip the forks, knives and spoons: The shooters are best eaten by tossing your head back and flicking the contents of the sauce cup into your mouth in one fluid motion.

CHOCOLATE TOMATO CAKE

We've attempted many a tomato-based dessert, with varying results. But this unusual cake passed muster, especially when baked in a Bundt pan and garnished with a handful of cherry tomatoes in varying sizes and colors.

For the cake:

2/3 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

3 eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoon grated orange peel

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup cultured buttermilk

1 cup pureed seeded green tomatoes (about 3 medium)

1 cup broken pecans, optional

For the glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons orange juice

Grated peel of 1 orange

To make the cake: In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla and orange peel.

In a separate bowl, combine cocoa, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk and tomatoes. Fold in pecans.

Turn the batter into a greased and lightly floured 10-inch pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until cake tests done when a wooden pick is inserted into the center. Move pan to a rack to cool. Invert the cake onto a serving plate.

To make the glaze: Combine the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Drizzle over cooled cake.