WHAT IN THE FRESH HELL?

Let’s be clear…

The tradition is simply fresh thick juicy sliced GARDEN tomatoes a generous smear of Duke’s Mayo, Salt & Pepper and white bread of course.

Anything else might be good but it’s not traditional.

I think I have just been “schooled” on the tomato sandwich…

The internet has thoughts about the simple tomato sandwich… A LOT OF THOUGHTS

Below is a quick round up of what folks have to say about how they like their Summer Tomato Sandwich and I had no idea there were so many ways…

Thomas G – Uh this might not be Southern but I used Chipotle mayo and to add some crunch a layer or two of Fritos. It was good. In fact, I think I’ll have another one for lunch over the weekend.

Carolina Foodie– With soft squishy white bread that sticks to your teeth and forms a big bread ball right in the roof of your mouth!

Condiment Queen-I see your Hellman’s cage free olive oil mayonnaise and I respectively counter with Blue Plate full fat. Pull out your Pullman loaf generously spread two thin slices of white bread with blue plate mayo and fill with Cherokee purples. Smash together and enjoy. Your welcome.

MJane-I know this is veering towards BLT territory but we try not to eat meat anymore for environmental reasons. Instead we began substituting sweet salty barbecue chips (Grippos) for bacon on top of the tomatoes. Honestly we have never looked back.

Miranda P-Lillian’s yellow heirloom tomatoes liberally sprinkled with Malden salt and topped with Sir Kensington’s aioli. No that’s all.

P-Take your garden tomatoes from the kitchen window sill back outside and leave in the BLAZING HOT SUN on top of a deck railing for about an hour. Rinse off with the garden hose pull out your pocket knife gather some white bread and assemble your sandwiches. Bonus points if you manage to make it back inside to grab mayo and the salt.

JerseyTom-The best is a sun warmed, fresh from the garden Jersey tomato on a good seeded Jewish rye with full fat salted butter. A little salt and pepper on the tomatoes is all you need. Been enjoying them every summer for all my life!

JimDandy-Try not to muck with the bread!! Wonder or Sunbeam folks. Baguettes are too chewy. Sourdough competes with the simplicity of the tomatoes. Wheat bread is a monstrosity. If it doesn’t say “enriched white bread” on the wrapper you are using the wrong bread!

BlueRidgeGirl-It’s heresy where I’m from but with butter AND mayo on toast.

ML3-Using a non sustainable Styrofoam plate to eat over unwrap your sandwich from it’s wrinkly aluminum foil wrapper. Roll up your sleeves and eat while it’s still warm from the bush.

AM-You’ve left out the one crucial ingredient; time. The most perfect sandwich is made in the morning with white or whole meal bread, buttered with butter i.e. no mayo (I hear your nostrils flaring!), and place thick-sliced tomatoes of diverse properties, salted and peppered generously, and a haze of transparently finely sliced layer of onion. Cut in half. Wrap or package. Travel at least 3 hours to somewhere worthy of of lunch with this sandwich. You will wish you’d made more.

TomatoQueen-Kewpie mayo only please

MissB – As a kid we were to busy playing to go inside for lunch so we always ate our tomatoes sitting in the yard and straight out of the garden. Lick the tomato to make the salt stick!

Brandywine122- Blue Plate Mayo, creole seasoning, homestead heirloom tomatoes, rustic bread, pair of Buddhist cookbooks.

Salty Sam-Toast the bread using the bagel setting so that the bread is only toasted on one side. Spread mayo on the toasted side add the tomatoes to the middle and bingo…you won’t scrap the roof your mouth anymore when eating your Summer sammies!

Bemused-Rye bread, sour cream, thin onion slices over the best summer tomatoes.

Sunnyone-Tomato Cracker Salad: 4 medium ripe garden tomatoes, 3/4 cup of Dukes Mayo, Sleeve of saltines coarsely broken into nice bite size pieces. Seed tomatoes first.

Lindy3-Sir Kensingtons Classic Mayo ONLY. Tellicherry pepper.

KL2-With a garden mater thick as a ribeye and still full of heat and humidity

TomatoDiva-whole wheat sourdough bread, chipotle lime mayonnaise, red onion and avocado oil. Divine

Suzanne-Morningstar fake bacon and a nice big slather of Veganaise mayo all over the top of the tomatoes. Yum!

BETTERBOY-Low carb Keto! Hassleback tomato sandwiches filled with basil and mozz in between the sliced tomato layers. If you use small size tomatoes you can toss them in your mouth one after another like your filling a wood chipper.

SillySerena-white bread above. white bread below. Tomato in the middle. Roll up your sleeves. Lean over the kitchen sink. Abandon yourself.