There are some ingredients that are just seasonal rockstars. The kind that seems to pop even more in the summer heat. The ones that grab your eye at the farmers market or that have you elbow deep in soil, sweating for that one fresh taste. Because we have access to most foods throughout the year, the idea of seasonal eating has been lost on a lot of us. We seem to forget that when we can, eating seasonal is best. This type of eating does not have to be hard and can be very rewarding. There are lots of examples of eating like this — making pesto with fresh basil, a crumble or a crisp with berries or stone fruit, but I feel like the most versatile and sometimes overlooked produce in its season is the tomato.
I was very lucky to get a few seedlings from Mary Ellen Waugh at the BEAM garden — and they have been wonderful to tend to. Seeing the seedling begin their sprout then growing into a proper vine to blossom into bright red, beautiful tomatoes. While this process was wonderful, now I truly get to reap the benefits: fresh grown tomatoes.
There are many choices with a tomato — grab the basil and make a caprese salad, dig out that gazpacho recipe and taste summer in a glass, but ultimately, the perfectly ripe tomato is a call for a BLT sandwich.
The BLT is a sandwich that I never seem to gravitate toward at a restaurant, mainly because I am certain I will be disappointed. A BLT is like a shell, unique in its small ways. Its construction is a master class in simplicity and understanding your ingredients
To craft my perfect BLT, begin with two pieces of white bread — lightly toasted, enough to give the bread some crunch, but not too toasted that the roof of your mouth is torn up. Mayonnaise is required — and perhaps a little more prominent than on most sandwiches. You will also need crisp lettuce, applewood-smoked bacon, and then the star of the show, who deserves a little extra attention — the tomato. You want the tomato thickly sliced with a sharp knife. If your chef’s knife is not sharp, try a serrated knife. Then place your slices on a plate and season them generously with salt and black pepper. This is essential. You don’t want to miss a bit of that flavor. When assembling, ensure that the tomato sits directly on the mayonnaise, somehow when the seeds and the mayonnaise are introduced to one another, they simply sing. Follow that with your applewood-smoked bacon, your crisp clean lettuce and the other side of your bread.
After that first bite, you will understand why I don’t order this sandwich at a restaurant. Sometimes simplicity is best at home, enjoyed with fresh ingredients and a beautiful display of seasonal fare. Of course everyone has their own way of dressing up a BLT, but that’s the fun of it. So, this weekend, stop by one of the Beaches farmers markets, grab some fresh, ripe tomatoes and give it a try!
