The Tomato Sandwich
The Tomato Sandwich. Yes, I have used “the” in front of tomato sandwich. It is a sandwich only eaten in the summer when sun-ripened tomatoes are just off the vine. It is the most delicious summer experience. Up there with strawberries, corn, and melons. You can’t beat it. It is the taste of summer. I’ll have this sandwich for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is just so good.
The Tomato Sandwich is Messy
As in tomato juices running down your elbow. And that’s what makes it so wonderful. Now American Southerners claim this sandwich as their own, but anywhere in the US where tomatoes are fresh, folks make this sandwich. How could you not? It is such a good and simple sandwich.
The key ingredients for this sandwich are garden or farm stand fresh tomatoes. Big juicy slicing tomatoes that are the size of the bread are ideal. We have Brandywines growing in our garden, and that’s what’s shown in the photos. It is worth seeking fresh tomatoes from your local farm stand or farmers’ market. The variety of tomatoes at the farmers market is plentiful; each has different flavors and textures. Something you can’t get at the grocery store.
The next ingredient is the bread. It has to be soft white bread. Not artisan bread. The traditional white sliced loaf bread. It pained me to write that last sentence, but it tastes best with that type of bread. I’ve tried it with other kinds of bread, but the white bread brings out the flavor of the other ingredients.
The last three ingredients are mayo, salt, and pepper. Mayo, There is always a debate about this among Americans: Miracle Whip or Mayo. I’m in the mayo camp using Duke’s when we lived in the US South and now that I’m plant-based, Follow Your Heart Vegenaise. No one can tell the difference between animal-based and plant-based mayos in my house. Once you’ve added a nice layer of mayo on that white bread and placed your thick sliced tomatoes, the finishing touch is salt and pepper. I use Kosher salt or Newport Sea Salt and freshly ground multi-color pepper.
That’s it—the perfect summer sandwich. Go out while the tomatoes are still fresh and make the tomato sandwich today. Enjoy summer!
Ingredients
- 2-3 big ripe slicing tomatoes
- Mayo - real or plant-based
- 8 slices of white bread
- Salt and Pepper
Preparation
- - Thickly slice the tomatoes.
- - Slather mayo on the white bread slices.
- - Put a slice of tomato on the bread slice.
- - Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- - Add the another bread slice on the top.
- - Cut in half.
Hello! I'm Ann Marie and I wear the well-worn apron. Join me as explore plant-based eating while I live on an island off the U.S. state of Rhode Island.