Fresh Tomatoes

* Tomatoes--plump, ripe, sweet, juicy--are now in season and cropping up on menus all over town.

Campanile: Here you might find a cool, refreshing gazpacho made with Early Girl tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, fennel and sweet peppers, seasoned with olive oil, vinegar, cayenne and jalapeno. To give the soup more texture, it’s ground (twice) instead of pureed. For his Greek salad, chef Mark Peel marinates a variety of heirloom tomatoes in oregano vinaigrette and combines them with cucumbers, red onion, feta, Kalamata olives and olive bread croutons. (Gazpacho, $6; Greek salad, $15.) Campanile, 624 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 938-1447.

Madame Matisse: Step into this minuscule storefront for a fresh, summery salad made with heirloom tomatoes such as Zebra and Brandywine. They’re tossed with steamed asparagus in a tarragon vinaigrette and topped with crabmeat ($9). Madame Matisse, 3536 W. Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake, (323) 662-4862.

Max: At this new Sherman Oaks restaurant, Andre Guerrero whips up a beautiful heirloom tomato salad dressed with a fig balsamic vinaigrette. It’s accompanied by a dainty quesadilla made with mozzarella, feta, Gorgonzola and a sprinkle of Parmesan. The soft, sweet tomatoes are perfect with the crisp, gooey quesadilla ($8.95). Max, 13355 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, (818) 784-2915.

Rockenwagner: Here’s a colorful appetizer--green, purple, yellow and red heirloom tomatoes set out in a circular pattern and drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil. In the center is a swatch of arugula garnished with eggplant caviar flavored with yogurt, fresh dill, garlic and shallots. The dish comes with fresh ciabatta bread studded with olives ($11). Rockenwagner, 2435 Main St., Santa Monica, (310) 399-6504.

Wild Artichoke: Fresh tomatoes feature in a Provencal tomato tart topped with crumbled Roquefort and pine nuts and an heirloom tomato caprese salad made with fresh mozzarella, dressed with lemon and basil oil and garnished with basil, tarragon, oregano and lemon zest. (Tart, $8.95; caprese salad, $8.95.) Wild Artichoke, 4973 Yorba Ranch Road, Yorba Linda, (714) 777-9646.