simple

The tomatoes are in full swing.  We have not been overwhelmed yet by our harvest but there are tons of green ones on the vines waiting to ripen.  As we pick beautiful, red, ripe ones I like to use them to make my favorite meal ever.
Seriously.  I have eaten at Charlie Trotter's and Tru and many, many places in between, but one of my favorite things in the world to eat is a simple, tomato sandwich.  If I am ever in a situation where I am given my choice of a last meal, an execution let's say, it would be a tomato sandwich.  God, I hope my execution would be sometime during the month of August...

There are probably several versions of this classic but this is mine.  It is the way I have prepared hundreds of them over the years.  Feel free to embellish as you wish but I think you will always come back to the original:

One red, ripe, juicy, homegrown tomato
(of course, it doesn't need to be grown at your house but somewhere nearby and in the late summer is ideal)

Two slices of good wheat bread
( I know some people like this on a country white bread which is good also.  My grandma always made her own wheat bread and this is how we ate them)

Good mayonnaise
(Do not even joke around here and use something like Miracle Whip.  I'm talking about a Hellman's or a Kraft mayo)

Salt & Pepper
(Some kind of flaky sea salt like Maldon is divine here but this is definitely not an elitist sandwich so any ol' Morton's will do)

Take slices of bread and toast to a golden brown.  This is the most important step.  Not toasting the bread results in an entirely different sandwich and one that I don't want to be a part of.  Spread each slice of bread with mayonnaise.  Slice tomato into about 4 thick slices and top one piece of toasted bread with the tomatoes.  Sprinkle tomatoes with salt and pepper.  Top with other slice of toasted bread press down a little until the juices just start to run out the sides.  Slice your sandwich in half.  If you are lucky enough to have potato chips in the house, have a handful of those with your sandwich.

Enjoy.

fresh from the garden

salt and pepper are crucial

I couldn't even wait long enough to take the damn picture.

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