DEBORAH CROMBIE: Here we are at the tail-end of August (thank heavens, I say) trying to get in the last juicy bites of those beauties we dream about the rest of the year–vine-ripened summer tomatoes. And what better way to enjoy the last of the tomatoes than the iconic tomato sandwich.
Which made me pause to wonder, is the tomato sandwich as big a thing in other parts of the country as it is in Texas, and especially in the South? And if you do love (and look forward to) a tomato sandwich, how do you make it? Apparently this is a matter for debate.
White bread or wheat? Or a country sourdough?
Soft or toasted?
Mayo or–well, I can't even contemplate a not-mayo option. But assuming you have not put something beyond the pale on your sandwich
Which mayo? Duke's? Or Hellman's?
(Is this a regional thing, the choice of mayo brand? I have to admit I've never had Duke's.)
Any additions allowed?
And last, eat over the kitchen sink or a plate?
I'm going for:
Country Sourdough
Very lightly toasted (unless it's fresh from the bakery that day)
Hellman's
Lots of smoked flakey sea salt (my latest "put on everything")
Lots of fresh cracked black pepper
And eat over a plate, so you can get an extra piece of bread and sop up all the juice.
How about it, REDs?
HALLIE EPHRON: I LOVE a fresh tomato locally grown and picked ripe. Ambrosia.
A “tomato sandwich”? We do BLTs but not Ts. But it sounds fabulous. Smoked flakey sea salt? That’s a new one on me, too… I’ve just been introduced to chili crisp… smoked flakey sea salt will be next.
DEBS: Maldon makes one, Hallie. You can order on Amazon. It's so good.
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: SO funny that you brought this up, Debs! I have changed my entire breakfast recently–because of the fabulous tomatoes–to tomato toast. Yes. Tomato toast, and it’s fantastic.
Toasted pumpernickel. (I know, shocking.) With a tiny bit of Hellmans, OR a tiny bit of cream cheese, OR, trust me, nothing. It’s fine with nothing. Sliced gorgeous tomatoes, and crazy salt or cracked pink himalayan salt. Done and delish.
(I sometimes even use halved cherry tomatoes from our garden–we have hundreds! (Seems like hundreds.) Still warm from the sun, on the toasted pumpernickel.)
Try it. Do.
RHYS BOWEN: Hank— grilled tomatoes on toast was my go-to breakfast for a long while. But I’ve never had a tomato sandwich, not without cheese or ham or blt. Doesn’t it make the bread soggy?
DEBS: It does. Hence the lean over the sink issue!
JENN McKINLAY: My go-to tomato sandwich for decades has been a slice of sourdough, a slice of extra sharp cheddar, a thick slice of tomato, sprinkled with fresh ground pepper and garlic salt and broiled in the oven until the bread is browned and the cheese is bubbly. Serve open faced (obviously) on a plate with a glass of iced tea. YUM!
*But if I wasn’t broiling it, I’d be using Hellmans. There is no substitute.
DEBS: Jenn, I broil tomato slices on sourdough with a dab of mayo, salt, and a sprinkle of oregano. Delish, and always makes me think of my mom, who made it that way.
LUCY BURDETTE: The truth is, I’ve not had a single tomato sandwich this summer! Tomatoes lots of other ways for sure, and I’m glad to be reminded of grilled tomato on cheese toast. And I would not turn down a BLT if it was set in front of me! But as soon as get to the farmer’s market to buy their French country bread, I’m going to make a tomato sandwich, bread toasted with Sir Kensington mayo, and a pinch of Slayer Salt. I received a sample in the mail and it’s infused with Sriracha–yummy!
DEBS: How about it, readers? What's the definitive tomato sandwich?
I do enjoy tomatoes . . . but only in a salad or on my plate [with Hellman’s mayonnaise], please. I am not a fan of tomato [or lettuce] on my sandwich [or on my hamburger] so I’ve never even considered the possibility of making a tomato sandwich . . . .
ReplyDeleteAt the risk of being disowned...I'm not a fan of tomatoes. I like them cooked and in things, like tomato sauce, but I'm not a fan of raw tomato.
ReplyDeleteWhich just means more tomato sandwiches for the rest of you.
Yay! More tomato sandwiches for the rest of us. Diana
DeleteMark, no one else in my family likes tomatoes so I almost never have bought them, even from farmer's markets, but for the last couple of years I've grown them in buckets on my deck: my own private stock!
DeleteThank you, Mark, for abstaining from tomato sandwiches. Next time I have one, I will know your generosity made it possible. ;-) Elisabeth
DeleteLove tomatoes on toasted multigrain bread. Will have to try it with cheddar. We eat sliced tomatoes on top of thick sliced mozzarella, ground salt and pepper and a couple drops of olive oil and red wine vinegar almost every day.
ReplyDeleteYum. Will be sad to see them go.
My kitchen is awash in garden tomatoes, finally. Big Cherokee Purple, Black Kim, and Cherokee Green heirlooms, San Marzanos for sauces, some regular red orbs, and dozens of Sun Gold.
ReplyDeleteWe are a Cains mayo household, and Hugh has a BLT on toasted multigrain every day for lunch from a couple of weeks ago until the last tomato is gone. I limit myself to one a week on Sundays, and confess I haven't had a tomato sandwich without bacon or cheese in years. I'll fix that today!
Should have mentioned I posted a great recipe for Little Round Things Caprese yesterday - Hank, you can put your cherry tomatoes to use this way! https://www.mysteryloverskitchen.com/2023/08/little-round-things-caprese-by.html
DeleteEdith, I love bacon and these days it is a rarity since my metabolism slowed down in the last few years. How do you stay slim, if I may ask?
DeleteDiana
Thank you, Diana. My middle is not a bit slim, and my metabolism is about zero. But I do walk 11-12k steps a day and try to stay away from processed foods or big portions. I have my weaknesses, though!
DeleteThank you, Edith. Thanks for the reminder about walking. I find myself eating smaller portions these days. I've not eaten processed foods in donkey years. My weakness is bacon. Even if I had One Bacon from the Organic Grocery shop, I still gained five pounds! These days five pounds makes a big difference for me.
DeleteDiana
I will have to try one of these as I am now eating mostly vegetarian meals. I love cucumber sandwiches. I need to get some of the pink Himalayan sea salt and I might try it with cheese so that I get some protein.
ReplyDeleteOh, my, cucumber sandwiches are a favorite of mine…in cucumber and applesauce on white bread a treat from childhood makes me so happy. Elisabeth
DeleteI miss my father’s tomatoes. 🍅 So luscious! He grew them in a garden and when they were ripe we made sandwiches with white bread with tomato and onion slices with a little salt.
ReplyDeleteReen Carter
Not a fan of tomatoes on bread. On a plate sprinkled lightly with salt and pepper.
ReplyDeleteOpen-faced. Lightly toasted sourdough. A touch of Hellman's. Slices of home-grown tomato -- not too thin, not too thick, just right. Salt and fresh-ground pepper. Yummy!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, please! Toasted sourdough with vegan mayo, salt and freshly-ground pepper for me.
ReplyDeleteSir Kensington mayo is so good Lucy. I love tomato sandwiches, but I haven't really found any good locally grown tomatoes this year at our farmers markets. Last year I grew tomatoes but there were some weird pests (one being a hooked worm) that devoured our plants along with everyone else's in our area.
ReplyDeleteWhen I grow tomatoes, I become fanatical about looking for the tomato worms. I grow mine (tomatoes, not worms - least not intentionally!) in a pot so I can see their “leavings” on the ground or edge of the pot and then obsessively look for them on the plant and remove them. If your plants are in the ground, it’s much harder to see evidence of them before they have gotten destructive. — Pat S
DeleteI'm in the BLT corner, Duke's or Hellman's mayo is fine with me.
ReplyDeleteSummer is a wonderful season for tomatoes. I love Dry-Farmed Tomatoes and I buy lots every time I go shopping at my local Organic Grocery shop. And Cherry Tomatoes are my favorite!
ReplyDeleteSomeone commented about not liking raw tomatoes. I was at another grocery store (few organic foods) and I bought a box of Cherry Tomatoes. No flavor. I was reminded of why I did not like tomatoes when I was a child.
For me, the Organic tomatoes taste better. I love tomato with Aioli on gluten free toast. Over the sink is a good idea. Toasted Tomato open faced sandwich on Sourdough bread is less soggy? Another favorite is Caprese Salad with Basil. Cashew Milk Mozzarella and dry farmed tomatoes or cherry tomatoes with Olive Oil.
Very picky about the Mayo, though. The mayo has to be cold. I never remember the brand since they all taste the same to me.
Does anyone make their own homemade Mayo?
Diana
I think there is a big difference in taste between store-bought and home-grown tomatoes. I can only grow cherry tomatoes on my balcony since I get less than 3 hours of sun/day. I have harvested plenty this year and boy do they have sweet bursts of flavour.
DeleteWe won't eat tomatoes unless they are from my garden or a local farm. They just aren't worth it!
DeleteGrace, that is wonderful that you can grow cherry tomatoes on your balcony. Diana
DeleteEdith, you are blessed to have local farms. I used to go to the farmer's market before the pandemic.
DeleteThe local Organic grocery shop is the closest thing I have to a farmer's market since they sell produce from local farms.
Diana
I love a BLT, well really it is a BT, but always on a good, lightly toasted bread with Hellman's, of course! I will be looking for that salt, which I bet is just what is needed. The tomatoes must be the home-grown kind, although my tomatoes have not been very productive lately and the cherry tomatoes, even with all this rain, are smaller than your average little marble. What am I to do with them? The dog likes them so I guess that is the answer and besides there aren't very many on the vine. Lucky for me my son grows way more tomatoes than he can use so I am always happy for a few of the surplus.
ReplyDeleteI love a tomato sandwich, and I'm not too fussy over the details. Mostly use whole grain bread because it's all I bring into the house most of the time, but hey, other types are fine, too. My main point in writing today is to thank Hank for the tomato toast for breakfast suggestion. I have never heard of such a thing, and as I read her description I'm pretty sure I saw a flash of light and heard an angelic choir. OK, perhaps not, but wow, am I inspired!
ReplyDeleteTry homemade guacamole with large chunky tomatoes and a bit of extra lemon juice on the toast. Add a poached egg and it is either nirvana or lunch - or both!
DeleteSounds like dinner to me, Susan.
DeleteOne of Irwin's favorite lunches is grilled cheese with tomato on rye. Yummy. I usually do not make grilled cheese for myself, too fattening. I just put a slice of cheese and sliced tomato on toast. We haven't had a lot of tomatoes this summer. I don't grow them and the ones in the store are just so-so, even from the local farms. Neither of us is a huge tomato fan. Try a salad with chunks of tomato and chunks of sweet oranges. I use homemade Italian dressing and let it marinate for about 20 minutes before serving. I add avocado to mine. Irwin is allergic so he gets the two fruit version.
ReplyDeleteI laughed when I read the NYT's recent article about that classic "Southern" dish, a tomato sandwich. I ate them a lot in Connecticut after my father put in a garden when I was in my teens in the 1970s. Previous to the homegrown variety, I had never liked tomatoes, which we purchased from the grocery store and resembled orange tennis balls with a wooden texture and no taste. Now in the high peaks of the Adirondacks, I grow tomatoes on my deck (to keep them from any predators) in five gallon buckets and it's a race to see which comes first: tomatoes ripened on the vine or the first killing frost. It's likely I'll pick them all in the next couple of weeks.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I like them served any way, but if not with Hellman's on toast, I like them with mozzarella, fresh basil, and olive oil.
DeleteI have never managed to get a ripe tomato in the Adirondacks, so I'm envious. I'm on the southern end of the park, and with the short growing season, lots of big trees in the yard, and critters it is more than a challenge.
DeleteYes, I had a bear pull down our birdfeeders last week, so I understand about critters. However, nothing comes on our deck so far, and I pick the tomatoes and ripen them on our window sill. This summer of incessant rain has not given much sun, either.
DeleteI laughed at that NYT headline too. My born and bred in Portchester NY grandmother and mother made me tomato sandwiches and loved them! Elisabeth
DeleteImho a BLT is not a tomato sandwich. A tomato sandwich is a juicy "Jersey" field grown beefsteak tomato on Pepperidge Farm white bread, not toasted, with a schmear of Hellman's mayo, topped with kosher salt, eaten over the sink. And Jersey tomatoes are the best! There's a reason Campbell's tomato soup is/was made in Camden, NJ (south Jersey).
ReplyDeleteThat's the classic!
DeleteThank you, Pam. A BLT is a BLT. A tomato sandwich is a tomato sandwich, Elisabeth
DeleteThe tomato sandwich – for me shades of being pregnant. My first pregnancy in 1979, began in October and all I wanted was tomato sandwiches – 2 or 3 a day. I didn’t really care how they were made (mandatory white bread, mayo and tomatoes, but could be raw or toasted – LOTS of salt). However, back then tomatoes were not an overabundant thing at all times of the year in the stores, and we lived in the rural country where store shopping was once a month, and they were expensive. Somehow, I managed to eat them frequently, although eating would be false advertising – I stuffed them into my gob barely chewing before I swallowed! Pregnancy 2 – 1980, started in March – same thing, needed that tomato sandwich from the beginning to the end. Pregnancy 3 – 1982, again started in March – same thing. I was beginning to see a pattern, and also now knew it was a positive pregnancy test. Fast forward through 3 disasters to #7 – 1990, again in March – and yup, tomato sandwich is my dill pickle-go-to (along with Kentucky-fried chicken), and once more from the beginning to the end. Tomatoes are still out of season, few in the grocery store and not cheap. Why did I not get pregnant so it would be in the summer and I would have them from the garden?
ReplyDeleteThis year (I am not pregnant), but the tomatoes are just starting to turn red – only the cherry ones are ready to eat. The weather people are threatening us with hurricane Franklin, and if that comes through, I think I will hope his puff is not too bad and leave the tomatoes on the vine just in case they survive.
Meanwhile today, I am making Edith’s Little Things Caprese salad to have with fresh crab for supper. That should go down a summer treat. Cherry Clafouti with custard sauce for dessert.
Proper tomato sandwich – either a BLT with cheese, and onions as well, or squishy white bread with homemade mayo, tomatoes cut extra thick, salt and pepper – and lots of butter on the bread. Never Hellman’s – on anything!
I'm not sure why the tomato sandwich is considered Southern fare. We have plenty of fresh tomatoes in New York and the first tomato sandwich of the summer is something I look forward to. With mayo, salt and pepper on white bread, of course.
ReplyDeleteMost of us love what we grew up with, unless something better came along! Hellman's, Duke's, Sir Kensington: they are all good!
ReplyDeleteMy sister ate so many fresh tomatoes every summer when we were kids that she had nearly permanent cold sores from all the acid. A plate of them would do for her, but I preferred them on BLTs.
Steve's dad grew tomatoes, his only "crop", and in the early years of our marriage his mom would invite us over for a supper of BLTs. She cooked the bacon in the oven and used really good bread.
I make bacon in the microwave, and we've been having tomatoes in as many ways as I can dream up lately, since I have nine plants this year. Yesterday I roasted a big panful for the freezer, and six trays of grape tomatoes are in the dehydrator now. When they're dry I'll pack them in a freezer bag and use them as sundried later.
I'll be roasting for sauce tomorrow so they don't rot while I'm in San Diego. Thanks for the reminder to dust off my dehydrator - great use for cherry toms. Also freeze them whole and use as ice cubes in Bloody Marys!
DeleteGood idea to roast them so they do not rot.
DeleteI just made these slow cooked cherry tomatoes. I think I've posted this recipe before--it is so good. https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/slow-cooked-cherry-tomatoes-with-coriander-and-rosemary
DeleteEdith and Debs, both great ideas!
DeleteAnd what about green tomatoes? Any fans?
ReplyDeleteLove green tomatoes - sliced on the equator, and pan-fried in butter with salt and pepper. Those are the things that give me cankers, but so good. Then there is the too-many-to-eat ones. Should I say canned salsa (burns your gizzard but so tasty) and chow-chow (green tomato pickle - may be a maritime thing).
DeleteLove fried green tomatoes, coated in cornmeal.
DeleteMargo, one summer my friend and I made green tomato relish together. So good. I have also canned green tomato marmalade, which was delicious.
DeleteI'm still hoping to be able to can tomato basil jam this summer. It is so amazingly tasty, and makes an acceptable stand-in for fresh tomatoes on a winter version of a BLT.
One of the first things I associate with summer is tomato sandwiches. Beautiful, beefsteak, tomatoes, or any other kind for that matter, lightly toasted, multigrain, bread, Hellmann’s salt, and pepper. So delicious!
ReplyDeleteSO agree!
DeleteThe key is toast, I think. On toasted bread doesn’t get soggy, that’s true! But toast is perfect. (I am looking out the window into our backyard right now and seeing a bunny hop by. It is pretty adorable! I hope it doesn’t like Tomatoes.)
ReplyDeleteThe other great use for tomatoes, obviously, Caprese. We had it last night with our sungolds and mozzarella, and ridiculously expensive balsamic vinegar, and chopped basil from the garden. And, of course, tiny tomatoes, cut in half with pesto and mozzarella. Amazing. And it wasn’t until I met Jonathan, years ago, that I learned it’s best to cut tomatoes with a serrated knife. Do you all do that?
Only when my good knives are dull, Hank:-)
DeleteYes, I always use a bread knife. Much too big but slices finely.
DeleteOh good grief, that to me, Hank, above.
ReplyDeleteOh, dictation error. I meant: that’s me, Hank, above.
ReplyDeleteI am laughing because I just read Harriet the Spy for a little family book club and Harriet insists on eating a tomato sandwich for lunch everyday. She lives on East End Avenue in Manhattan, so they can't just be a southern thing. I have been enjoying BLTs, tomatoes simply sliced on a plate, and my niece-in-law's amazing tomato pie for weeks now, but have yet to have a tomato sandwich.
ReplyDeleteNot too late, Barb! And I forgotten about Harriet the Spy and her tomato sandwiches!
DeleteThat's hilarious. I don't remember that from Harriet the Spy but I love it!
DeleteAll of this is making me determined to get to my local farmer's market this week and get some *real* field ripened tomatoes.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think it’s regional. I’ve lived in Connecticut for my entire life, and I’ve been eating tomato sandwiches for my entire life. My sister and I were talking about these sandwiches earlier this week. Both of us said we haven’t had a tomato sandwich yet this summer, because we haven’t found just the right kind of tomato yet. I know it when I see it, and nothing has jumped out at me yet and exclaimed “pick me!”
ReplyDeleteI like it on whole grain bread with Hellman’s mayo and a sprinkle of black pepper.
DebRo
I miss the midwestern tomatoes from our garden growing up. When we had a house in SoCal, we tried growing them, but they attracted rats who didn’t like sharing them.
ReplyDeleteNeed to do as Grace does and grow some on our balcony - at 21 floors up, they should be safe.
When we were in the Catalan region of Spain, I became obsessed with pan con tomate for breakfast. You would be served bread, tomatoes, and garlic at the table and you would proceed to make your own tomato bread by simply rubbing your sliver of garlic and your tomato directly over the rustic bread and eating it. Perfect.
That sounds perfect, Lisa.
DeleteI'm not picky. When I want a tomato sandwich I use whatever bread or buns I have (lately it's been bolillos) lightly toasted or not, sliced 'maters, and Duke's mayo. That's it!
ReplyDelete1. Amazed at the plethora of comments here. I guess I usually read this early in the morning, before most of you are up.
ReplyDelete2. Last night we made Some Commenter's Roasted Shrimp recipe and loved it. Thanks, whoever you are!
I cannot get enough tomatoes. 32 plants in the garden, and this time of year we are hardpressed to eat or give them away fast enough. My husband often has them sauteed with a sausage patty for breakfast, a BLT for lunch (he is retired) and then a big tomato salad for dinner (caprese, with homegrown basil, local mozz, and Paul Newman's balsamic vinaigrette). I grew up in the Hudson Valley, prime truck farming area, so tomato sandwich with mayo on squishy white bread was a fav. It is humid and hot there in summer, so often Mom would serve a cold meat, corn on the cob, and sliced tomatoes with salt and pepper for dinner. I only wanted the corn and tomatoes. Nowadays I can hardly be bothered to cook with tomatoes, they are so good raw. Ours usually last until Thanksgving, when I go into mourning until the following July. My goal always (never met in CT) is to pick the first ripe tomato by July 4.
ReplyDeleteI feel compelled to admit that my mayo is not Hellman's but Trader Joe's Organic, which I like because it doesn't have any sugar. And to admit that I turned that tomato sandwich in the photo above into a BLT. Couldn't resist!
ReplyDeleteMany people like Hellman's. I have not seen Hellman's Mayo anywhere. How is it different from the other Mayonnaise, if I may ask?
DeleteDiana
Since I've never had Duke's or Sir Kensington, maybe someone who's tried all the mayo brands can explain the difference?
DeleteHellmans is Best Foods in California.
DeleteDiana, Hellman’s is called Best Foods west of the Mississippi. I’d never heard of Duke’s or Sir Kensington before today. — Pat S
DeleteNow I remember Best Foods. That was ages ago! Diana
DeleteGrew up on BLT's, but when I moved to Virginia, a friend introduced me to tomato sandwiches and I have never looked back. Hellman's naturally, vine ripe tomato, sea salt, and pepper! Not picky about the bread, but sourdough is my usual go to. Now that we are talking about this, and it's lunchtime...well, gotta go!
ReplyDeleteEating a sandwich over the kitchen sink reminds me of my grandmother, who would eat a half sandwich, any sandwich, over the kitchen sink. She was terrified of gaining weight and thought standing up while eating that half sandwich would help.
ReplyDeleteI love to order a BLT on toasted white bread with mayonnaise in a diner for lunch, especially while traveling. We would have BLTs occasionally at home, but I grew up with the sandwich spread stuff because that is what dad liked. Now it's mayonnaise all the way. Normally I purchase Best Foods mayo, which is Hellman's in California. I love a nice ripe tomato, sliced with lemon cucumbers drizzled with a nice lighter vinegar, salt and pepper as a summer salad. But a tomato, mayo and bread sandwich is not a sandwich I grew up eating. It sounds marvelous and would most definitely use a plate and enjoy at a leisurely pace, with a good book, of course.
Deana
My Iowa grandma served thick slices of tomato, and Grandpa covered them with a thick layer of Hellman’s and….. sugar! If you can imagine. I learned to eat them with salt and pepper, which seemed more civilized. But I’d never had a tomato sandwich until I began reading novels set in the South. They sounded delicious, I tried them and now am (like most converts) a total zealot! Any bread will do, although I buy a loaf of country white at least once during the season. Duke’s or Hellman’s, I like both. Sea salt, cracked pepper, tomatoes sliced thick and definitely over a plate so I can sop up the juices! I have to admit, this discussion has made me very hungry!
ReplyDeleteI've heard of people putting sugar on tomatoes. I suppose a tiny bit would counter the acid?
DeleteMy grandmother would visit from Chicago and have a plate with sliced tomatoes sprinkled with sugar. As an 8-year old, I loved it because I was 8 and wasn’t allowed to have sugar just sprinkled on food! (We won’t discuss the amount of sugar we all probably ate in the form of Sugar Smacks, Sugar Frosted Flakes, Sugar Corn Pops and the myriad of “children’s” cereals.) Now it’s salt and pepper on my tomatoes. — Pat S
DeleteI am feeling inspired to try my hand at growing tomatoes again. I got eight little ones before the heat took my plants out this year.
ReplyDeleteJenn, our plants are crispy. I've been trying to keep them alive so that we'll get some fall tomatoes--last year we had Sungolds right up to December--but I am close to despair.
DeleteIt has been 100 or more everyday since July1st, here where I live in the southern end of the Bay Area. Somehow though we have a lot of great tomatoes, only five plants. Planting in the ground is much better than any kind of pots...
DeleteWe love tomato sandwiches! They are so good in summer especially. Usually we use a layer of (heart healthy) butter or hummus on each bread slice and a leaf of lettuce, and that seems to keep the bread safe from sogginess. We love tomatoes on toast, too, for breakfast. All these variations and suggesions above have made me hungry!
ReplyDeleteTWO slices (top and bottom) of County White (store bought or bakery), never toasted, and mayo (Pandemic supply chain issues and then cholesterol pushed me to Vegan Mayo from Trader Joe’s.) and a tomato fresh sliced (never refrigerated) from the farmer’s market. On a plate. (Grilled cheese and tomato are for midwinter with tomato soup.) Call me a snobby purist but anything else is just tomato on bread. Cheers for the weekend, All. Elisabeth
ReplyDeleteYes, I love a fresh-from-vine tomato sandwich. I loathe, yes loathe, mayo in any form. And Health-related dietary constraints limit the type of bread. Not white, low salt, low sugar. There’s some great choices out their. Toasted or not works. I like to add pea shoots, a little fresh basil, a skim of hot mustard, pepper. And sometimes I cheat and add just a little salt. Yum.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry I missed this, because I have definite, heretical opinions about tomato sandwiches. yes, friends, I mean the Love That dares Not Speak It's Name: Miracle Whip. Slathered thickly on toasted whole wheat, open faced, cracked pepper on the tomato slices.
ReplyDeleteCome at me, haters.
Oh, and I eat from a plate, but I confess if I'm alone, I tuck a napkin into my collar because I know some of that juice is landing on my bosom.
What do you like about the taste of Miracle Whip? Genuinely curious? I am not a fan, but I do not like mayonnaise either. I prefer my tomatoes naked. :)
DeleteNothing wrong with Miracle Whip. I grew up on it. Pat D
DeleteJulia, I was waiting for your comment because I remember that you feel very strongly about that particular condiment. Not sure if it is a condiment but you get my point. Have you ever tried Hellman's, say just for the hell of it?
DeleteI will also entertain using Kewpie mayo, the Japanese brand our own Celia Wakefield turned me on to. If you haven't tried this - you can get it at Target or Wal-Mart, or order online - you should. It's extraordinary.
ReplyDeleteJulia, I’ll have to try kewpie mayo. Diana
DeleteJulia, I’ll have to try kewpie mayo. Diana
DeleteI really only eat grape tomatoes in a salad and I've never had a tomato sandwich. If I did though, it'd be freshly toasted bakery bread, Hellmann's and salt and pepper.
ReplyDeleteIf I get as far as the kitchen, (I learned from my Granny to carry a salt shaker to the garden, and eat tomatoes like an apple. Even without salt, sun warmed tomatoes in the garden are wonderful.) the tomato sandwich for me is white bread, tomato (hopefully a big beefsteak with a slice covering the bread), salt, and pepper. No mayo. No toast. No cheese. Those are for other sandwiches that include tomatoes.
ReplyDeleteAnn Mettert
Duke's is the bomb! Good heirloom tomatoes are, too. German Johnson, Pineapple or Cherokee Purple. Black Krim if you can find them. ...and definitely toast the bread. I like a sourdough with a thick crust. Bon Apetit!
ReplyDeleteToasted, with Everything on Everything Salt & Pepper blend but (hear me out), rather than mayonnaise, spreadable Brie. It's pretty danged magical. At least, according to me and the dogs.
ReplyDelete