Growing up, I had a friend who ate fresh summer tomatoes like apples. She’d hold the ripe tomato in her hand and take a huge, juicy, drippy bite. I thought she was nuts. I’d only tasted hot-house, out-of-season tomatoes, so I thought I didn’t like tomatoes. Turns out, my friend knew what was up! Peak-of-season tomatoes need very little help, and in fact, sometimes the best way to eat a ripe tomato is unadorned, warm from the vine.
However, (brace yourself) I am of the opinion that a tomato sandwich — actually this very simple, classic tomato sandwich — is the best way to eat a ripe summer tomato. This sandwich, like a caprese or BLT, can ONLY be enjoyed in the fleeting peak of tomato season, because for it to be good, you need to make it with the ripest, most fragrant, juicy tomatoes. I cannot be responsible for what you experience if you make a tomato sandwich with spongy, flavorless winter tomatoes.
What Goes In A Tomato Sandwich
A sandwich this simple is as much about what DOESN’T go in it as what does. This is not a BLT, (though those are great, too). A tomato sandwich is a celebration of tomatoes and restraint. It’s like someone took the Coco Chanel rule and applied it to a sandwich! Less is more. Tomato is the star. All you have to do with a ripe tomato is NOT mess it up! All you need is:
- Tomato: Ideally a big heirloom tomato! The ripest summer tomato you can find! Your backyard (or a neighbors’) or the farmers market is your best bet for finding a great tomato. Look for beautiful, colorful heirloom varieties of slicing tomatoes like Brandywine, Cherokee Purples or Black Beauty.
- Mayonnaise: Something about the mildly sweet creaminess of the mayo brings out the tomato’s natural sweetness. Mayo is the key to a tomato sandwich’s magic. Homemade mayo would be AMAZING here, as would garlic aioli.
- Salt + pepper: Just a bit!
- Bread: Everyone has opinions about the best bread for a tomato sandwich, including me! Some folks swear by squishy soft white bread, but I like good crusty bread for my tomato sandwiches because it doesn’t get soggy so fast! I can enjoy my perfect summer sandwich without rushing.
- Garlic: OK, this is my little extra ingredient! My secret extra that some tomato sandwich purists will say is sacrilege. If it is, so be it! Like Romeo famously said, give me my sin again, because a little fresh garlic is extremely lovely here.
How To Choose A Perfectly Ripe Tomato
The best tomatoes will be ripe summer tomatoes fresh from someone’s garden and warm from the sun. Or, if you have room for a garden, grow your own! Growing a little tomato patch (literally three tomato plants) with my kids has been so much fun over the years. My daughter is especially into the pink ones! There’s even a pink Brandywine. However, you can also find great ones at the farmers market and when tomato season peaks (usually August, depending on where you live), you will find great tomatoes at almost any grocery store.
Take a minute when you’re at the store or market to be a little picky about which tomato you bring home to make a tomato sandwich! Choose a tomato the same way you’d choose most fruit (and yes, tomato IS a fruit). You want the tomato to feel heavy in your hand (this means it is juicy). The tomato should be nicely aromatic if you sniff near its stem, and it should have some yield when you gently press it. Once you get home, never store a tomato in the fridge! Store the tomatoes on the countertop, stem side down. Use them ASAP! Once picked, they do not get better.
How To Make a Classic Tomato Sandwich
- Slice the tomato. Use a really, really sharp knife, and the tomato should slice in one, smooth motion. No sawing! That will ruin your beautiful slices.
- Brush some garlic on the lightly toasted bread. Rubbing the garlic clove over the bread will just give it a hint of garlicky perfume. It’s a trick from making bruschetta, and I love what it does in this tomato sandwich!
- Mayo time! Be generous. You’ll find your perfect mayo-to-tomato ratio over time. Start with mine!
- Salt and pepper.
- Eat! Do not wait. Do not allow distractions. Let the world stop and lose yourself in this glorious summer sandwich.
More Fresh Tomato Recipes
Edible Summer Celebrations
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