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market-farming - How to Make a Good Tomato Sandwich (Part 2)

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  • From: "Marlin Burkholder" <glenecofarm AT planetcomm.net>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT franklin.metalab.unc.edu>
  • Subject: How to Make a Good Tomato Sandwich (Part 2)
  • Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2002 23:40:06 -0700


Tomato. Ahh the most important part! Nothing but a genuine homegrown
garden tomato either ripened on the vine or finished ripening on a table on
the back porch will do! Obviously the best of the best are the old time
heirloom varieties like "Brandywine", "Old German", "Pruden's Purple" or
"Blosser" to name just a few. Hybrid varieties like "Big Beef", "Celebrity"
, or Burpee's "Big Boy" are still very good if home grown and properly
ripened. These won't hold a candle to the heirlooms for flavor though.
Generally the juicier the better. Choose a big one that is well ripened and
juicy. It should be big enough that when you cut a one half to three
quarter inch slice about midway between the stem end and blossom end it will
be more than big enough to completely cover a slice of bread. Don't even
think of using a store bought tomato, so help the needy!

Onions. I love them. Others may choose to skip them. Even a store bought
onion can work here. Sweet ones are good. I don't mind if they are a
little raunchy though. I usually end up getting the slices wedge shaped
not necessarily on purpose. This adds to the fun of eating your creation
though as you try frantically to hold the thing together as onion slices go
shooting out the sides as you crunch down.

Green Stuff. Now I know that it can be next to impossible to find good
lettuce during the middle of tomato season. If you can you are plain lucky!
Now is your opportunity to be creative. Don't go to the store and buy "Ice
Berg" lettuce for Pete's sake! Swiss chard grows well in mid summer and the
young tender leaves work quite well on a sandwich. Also worth trying are
the leaves of various herbs, especially Basil. Recently I have learned that
the common midsummer weed, purslane, is good (don't laugh) eaten raw in
salads or cooked slightly. I tried it once on a sandwich and it was not bad
at all. It has a mild flavor and crunchy texture. Health nuts will tell
you that purslane is high in omega 3 fatty acids and among the most
nutritious of the edible weeds.

Dressings. This usually goes on top so it can work it's way down through
the layers as you eat, or on either or both pieces of bread before you
begin stacking the goodies. My choice is real mayonnaise (not Miracle
Whip)! Also good is spicy brown mustard rather than yellow mustard.
Another excellent choice is extra virgin olive oil. Some might want ketchup
but I think it can be a bit redundant considering ketchup is mostly tomato
sauce and you already have tomato as your main ingredient in your sandwich.
I have used my wife's home made ketchup (made with good tomatoes and lots of
herbs and spices) quite satisfactorily. At any rate I would never recommend
the red slop everyone buys at the grocery store. That's the same stuff
people are always slathering all over their fast food in order to cover up
an already "blah" taste! It simply doesn't make sense on a good tomato
sandwich. Finish it off with a big slab of dill pickle on top and you are
ready to go.

So, there you have it, every thing you need to know to make a super tomato
sandwich. If you are truly adventurous, you might want to repeat this
sequence several times before you put the final slice of bread on the top.
It helps to have a big mouth and a loose jaw though. Take it from someone
who has both and knows!

Now comes the final test. If made right, it will take at least both hands
to cradle the sandwich together as you bring it to your mouth for the first
bite. If for some reason your hands are not enough to accomplish this fete,
you might want to try using one or both of your feet. This assumes of
course that you have been doing your Yoga. Within seconds you should have
tomato juice and mayonnaise dripping off both elbows and smeared from
eyebrows to chin, and you should be experiencing something close to sublime
orgasmic ecstasy. Only then will you know that you have made a really good
tomato sandwich. :>).

Submitted by Marlin Burkholder





  • How to Make a Good Tomato Sandwich (Part 2), Marlin Burkholder, 10/07/2002

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