Thursday, July 21, 2011

TOMATO SAMMICH

A Southern Classic ~  The Tomato Sandwich

                              

Oh yes, it's Tomatopalooza time!!  The vines are heavy with the best of our favorites - Beefsteak, Early Girl, Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Heidi, Green Zebra, Mr. Stripey - the list goes on forever.  Here in the south, the building of the tomato sandwich really begins with just a few strict rules:   
                                              1.  White Bread
                                              2.  White Mayo
                                              3.  White Salt
                                              4.  Black Pepper
                                              5.  Red Tomatoes
                                                   (Preferably warmed from the sun)

Some folks try to make the tomato sammich really fancy such as a:
Mozzarella & tomato sandwich
Fried green tomato sandwich
Cheese & tomato sandwich
Grilled cheese and tomato sandwich and some really go all out with a Caramelized onion and lettuce tomato sandwich. 
Triple decker bacon, egg and cheese tomato sandwich. 

I personally like the tried and true BLT (bacon, lettuce, and tomato).


There's a story that a true southern tomato sandwich is made somewhere around dinner time (dinner being around 12:00 noon and supper around 5:00 p.m.).  Anyhow, you make the sandwich with all the white stuff above, lay it on a plate.  You don't eat right away.  You leave it - go away from it.  Then you come back every so often and pat it.  Somewhere between dinner and supper, you get to eat it after it has been patted several times.  Just full face stuffingness is what this sandwich is all about. 
You can throw in some of those different colored tomatoes for a little WOW and flavor.

How do you describe the taste of this summer pleasure to somewho who has never had the gift of a tomato on white bread? My other question is - Is all about the mayo? 

Any way you slice it, enjoy it - summer is fleeting.  It won't be here for long.  The fruits of our labor will be in feezer bags and canning jars. 

Enjoy your tomatoes - Don't forget your napkin!   Debi ~
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Posted by Debi at 6:52 PM
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22 comments:

  1. AnonymousJuly 21, 2011 at 7:03 PM

    Hubby is a tomato guy and would love this sandwich! Anything with a tomato on it trips his trigger.

    Di

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  2. ~Kim at Golden Pines~July 21, 2011 at 8:01 PM

    Fresh tomatoes are one of my very favorite parts of summer!!I'm going to Kentucky on Friday and my brother has some tomatoes for me from his garden, and I cannot wait!!!

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  3. Cathy G.July 21, 2011 at 8:19 PM

    Everyone here in the north is still waiting for that first ripe tomato off the vine! Goodness you have my mouth watering! The BLT has to be the most delish "samich" ever made!
    For sure on the napkin part too!
    Cathy G

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  4. HollyJuly 22, 2011 at 5:05 AM

    You are klilling me here. I haven't had a decent tomato since we left Indiana. Arizona tomatoes are dry and have no flavor. I miss white bread tomato sammiches.

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  5. UnknownJuly 22, 2011 at 5:34 AM

    Oh my gosh am I so jealous! That looks DELICIOUS and our 'mater plants aren't really producing too well this year :(

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  6. camp and cottage livingJuly 22, 2011 at 8:25 AM

    My favorite summer sandwich-so quick and easy. So...tasty! I'm afraid I don't have any fresh ones yet either. I'm really lucky if I get any at all with my short growing season. Boo, hoo!

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  7. Karen thisoldhouse2.comJuly 22, 2011 at 9:52 AM

    oooh YUM. I do the fancy stuff, but the simple kind are delicious too.

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  8. UnknownJuly 22, 2011 at 4:06 PM

    I'M STARVING!!

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  9. KimJuly 22, 2011 at 6:49 PM

    Oh, so good. I love BLTs! In fact I had one today on a toasted sub roll.

    About your offer on my blog: Under no circumstances am I sending my boys to NC. With your cute horse loving girls there, they would never come home! Seriously, that is very nice. Do they have a good vet school?

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  10. ain't for city galsJuly 23, 2011 at 12:35 PM

    Pat your sandwich??..several times...made me laugh out loud!! looks yum..

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  11. EdwardJuly 23, 2011 at 1:14 PM

    Ah the tomato sandwich, we have them very often normally with cheeses they are very yummy but I do have to confess I easily grow bored of them, I am not so much a tomato person, but did you know they can make you more resistant to sunburn, so that might explain why I have never got sunburnt.
    Regards
    Edward

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  12. My Little BungalowJuly 23, 2011 at 1:45 PM

    We went to the farmers market this morning and bought a big, ripe tomato and made a tomato sandwich for lunch. Except I used whole grain bread. So tasty!

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  13. VelvaJuly 23, 2011 at 5:59 PM

    Love a good simple tomato sandwich. Thanks for the gentle reminder that I need to go and make me a sandwich. Awesome.

    Have a great weekend.
    Velva

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  14. Dog Trot FarmJuly 23, 2011 at 8:33 PM

    After reading this delightful post I am hoping for vine rippened tomatoes in the morning. Thank you for sharing, sending greetings from Maine, Julie.

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  15. DreamingJuly 24, 2011 at 6:50 AM

    My hubby used to love tomato sandwiches. I was never a tomato person, until I finally got brave enough to taste fresh tomatoes - mmmm, yum!
    Oh, and the mayo? Must be Dukes, or if that's not available, Hellman's (or Best) will do in a pinch!

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  16. Yvonne @ StoneGableJuly 24, 2011 at 7:10 PM

    What a great recipe and story! YUMMY! This would be the perfect recipe for ON THE MENU MONDAY! Please join in and link this post with OTMM!
    Yvonne

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  17. Privet and HollyJuly 25, 2011 at 4:30 PM

    We've been eating
    a lot of BLT's
    lately. I get
    the bacon that you
    can finish off in
    the microwave, so
    the kitchen stays
    nice and cool. One
    of the tastes of
    summer, in my book!
    xx Suzanne

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  18. AnonymousJuly 26, 2011 at 8:05 PM

    I love to eat light, and all the different sandwich ideas you've shared Debi I'll try. I know what's on my grocery list this week.
    Lots of hugs, Rosemary... Yum!

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  19. Buttons ThoughtsJuly 28, 2011 at 8:25 AM

    Oh this makes me so hungry I sit here and watch my tomatoes starting to ripen but not quite ready. My mouth is watering looking at your versions. B

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  20. NancyJuly 30, 2011 at 8:14 PM

    Nothing in the world is as good as a warm tomato sandwich with a glass of chocolate milk! Our tomatoes aren't ready yet. Soon, I hope. Nancy

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  21. corners of my lifeAugust 8, 2011 at 8:05 AM

    Your few strict rules are perfect. The simpler the better. I do believe this will be lunch.

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  22. Alison @ The PolohouseAugust 8, 2011 at 5:56 PM

    I am soOOoo excited to know you!
    Thanks for finding me on my blog today. I can see we have a lot in common.
    A farmgirl at heart, I grew up on a 300 acre farm in SW Pennsylvania with lots of horses, cows, and dogs.
    Love a good old tomato sandwich!
    Your newest follower,
    Alison

    ReplyDelete

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