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?
