Juicy Deliciousness

There are few things in the world as disappointing as a grocery-store tomato.  Mealy, pink on the inside, flavorless, juiceless.  Blech.  It's not worth your time or money.

That said, there are few things in the world as delicious as a home-grown tomato.  Last week in Jamesville, Mama and Daddy loaded me up with several tomatoes from their garden.  While I'm reserving one for a couple of meals with Jason, the rest have been eaten as my all-time favorite summer meal -- tomato sandwich.

The Ingredients:
There are only 5 ingredients, so you can't scrimp on any of them.  You MUST have a "real" tomato.  Don't try with a grocery store tomato.  You will be sorely disappointed.  You will need mayonnaise.  This is a rare treat, so don't try to "healthy" it up by skipping this step.  You will need bread (I've always been a fan of whole wheat), salt, and pepper.

The Procedure:
Keep the paper plates for your ham and cheese sandwiches.  You will need the stability of a real plate for this sandwich.  Mayo the bread and slice the tomato.  Stack as many slices as physics will allow you (this often takes some maneuvering) and eat the rest.  Yes, I love tomatoes that much.  I gnaw on the unsliced tomato like I'm eating a peach.  Nothing gets wasted.

Liberally salt and pepper.  If you have multiple tiers of tomato, you may want to lift up on the top tier and salt below.  Again, don't skip this step.  The salt is needed to really draw out the delicious tomato-y juices.

The last step is most important.  Put the bread on top, and just walk away.  It's tempting to eat it right away, but the salt needs a few minutes to do its work.  I time this by getting a drink and chips, finding something on tv to watch while eating, and grabbing a paper towel.  Do not try to eat this sandwich without a paper towel within reach.

Eating:
Eater beware.  This is a messy meal.  If juices aren't flowing down your forearms halfway through, you didn't make it correctly.  You will probably not be able to put the sandwich down once you pick it up.   But honestly, once you taste it, you won't want to put it down!

Happy eating!