Ripe, juicy tomatoes. Just daydreaming about their supernatural flavor and meaty yet yielding texture makes me long to be in the throes of August, when the mercury soars above 90 degrees F and trips to the garden are best made with a bucket or two in hand. Whether picked at the peak of ripeness or plucked from the vine while firm and green, tomatoes are one of the season’s true delights—tempting young and old alike with their fresh, wholesome goodness—perfect for topping salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, tarts and so much more.
Seems Chloe Tuttle, owner of Big Mill Bed & Breakfast in Williamston, North Carolina, has been feeling the same way. A contributor to the Bountiful Kitchen series, Chloe sent me some of the most gorgeous, mouthwatering photos of tomatoes I’ve ever seen along with her own take on how to enjoy this delicious and healthy fruit. If homegrown tomatoes aren’t yet in season in your area, take heart—it won’t be long before you’ll be enjoying a bountiful kitchen as well.
From Chloe Tuttle…
Oh that long-awaited, first homegrown tomato of the season—how do you savor it best? Here on the farm it is guaranteed to be eaten as a no-frills (but heart-stoppingly good) Farmhouse Tomato Sandwich. Truth is it’s so good, I probably won’t even share it with my guests here at Big Mill Bed and Breakfast. After all (wink, wink), an innkeeper has to keep up her strength!
This simple yet special sandwich goes against most of my cooking acumen. It actually tastes good, really good, on store-bought white bread, like the Wonder Bread many of us ate as children. Another can’t-do-without, complementary touch? Ground black pepper, straight from the tin.
Perfect.
Big Mill’s No-Frills Farmhouse Tomato Sandwich
- 1 medium-sized ripe (preferably home grown) tomato
- 2 slices of bread (I like Pepperidge Farm Oatmeal Bread)
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, like Duke’s or Hellman’s
- salt and pepper
Wash the tomato thoroughly and cut into thick slices. Red or even yellow tomatoes are perfect for this sandwich. Spread mayonnaise onto both slices of bread, but one side only. Make sure to spread the mayonnaise to the edge of each piece. Place the tomato slices on one piece of the bread; add salt and pepper to taste. Cover tomatoes with the second slice of bread, mayonnaise side down (of course). Cut the sandwich into two pieces and get ready to enjoy the easiest, best-tasting tomato sandwich ever.
Options: There are many upgrades that can be added to this sandwich. Some of my favorites include lettuce, bacon, cheddar cheese or brie. And it tastes great toasted.
While I may be hoarding the first tomato of the season, I promise to share all the other tomatoes we harvest here on the farm with our inn guests and friends. The upcoming crop will be used in our quiches, salads, soups, dips, salsas and even canned and dried for later use.
I hope you are fortunate enough to be growing your own tomatoes. If not, be sure to make many trips to your local farmers’ market where fresh-from-the-garden tomatoes are bound to be plentiful in the upcoming weeks.
Until then, why not share your favorite way to enjoy the first tomatoes of the season?!
Note: Digital images displayed in the post are courtesy & copyright Chloe Tuttle. Please do not reproduce without prior permission.
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{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
I started my heirlooms from seed this year – 12 varieties. My husband built me a bed for them. As of today, we have one tiny tomato starting on one plant…I am SO anxious to harvest them…patience is NOT my virtue! I am planning on making a bread salad first thing – sliced or chopped tomatoes, a lovely vinaigrette, sliced red onions, fresh shredded basil…maybe even some shaved Parmesan? I am just at the dreaming stage. I’ve heard heirlooms take longer to get to the harvest stage, so I guess I’ll just wait!
Oh that looks divine. That bread!
What a simple and beautiful recipe! I think adding brie would be SO good!
No upgrade needed – it’s the perfect sandwich! As a child, I ate mine on Pepperidge Farm white bread. I loved the sandwiches so much that I wanted to have a tomato sandwich stand instead of a lemonade stand in the summer. My mother gently informed me that not everyone likes the same things we like. Oh.
Gorgeous sandwich — droolworthy pictures!! Today I smeared pesto on 2 slices of toasted whole wheat bread and put lots of tomatoes on top — then sprinkled with feta cheese. YUM — love tomoato sandwiches!!
one of my favorite sandwiches all that is missing is vidalia onions !!
It doesn’t get any better than a homegrown tomato sandwich, heirloom or not. Just lovely….
I have been eating sliced tomato and avacodo with mayo on toasted Oroweat Whole Grain and Flax bread all summer. Still not tired of it. The bread is really good.
I really think when the tomatoes are garden-fresh and perfectly ripe, there’s no better way to eat them than this!
Absolutely yummy!
Another great addition is green olives. Chop up the tomatoes, olives and stir in mayo. Spread on toasted Wonderbread! This was my grandmother’s recipe. She said she served this sandwiches at tea parties with her friends in the 1920s.
My favorite way has always been on a sandwich with mayo, but I also like eating them straight from the garden, warm, with a bit of crunchy sea salt.
We didn’t grow tomatoes this year and after seeing this post, I wish I would have. That is one perfect sandwich!
The first tomato of the season always gets hoarded by me, sliced and sprinkled with a little salt. YUM!
The colour of those tomatoes is just fantastic! Great shots and a great look sandwich. Nothing beats a homegrown tomato. Sliced, sprinkled lightly with salt and eaten with toasted rye bread is my idea of a perfect breakfast.
When I was young we had a beautiful garden and one of my favorite snack was fresh tomatoes sandwichs. Nothing can beat this. Great pics!
Simplicity at its best.. looks so delicious!