Tomato bliss

Summer with its sweltering heat can be miserable. The agony, however, completely vanishes at the sight of my first real tomato sandwich of the year. It happened over the weekend and it was a beautiful thing. It began with a trip to the State Farmer’s Market.

I used to be a purist: white bread, Duke mayonnaise, luscious tomatoes, crisp bacon, salt and pepper. That was all I required to be satisfied. Then, Lynda Loveland exposed me to the joys of basil and now I must apply this fragrant low-growing herb to every tomato sandwich. Plus, I’ve also added a healthy slice of mozzarella cheese and substituted rye and sourdough bread. And if anyone has some homemade pesto I might put a layer of that on the sandwich as a substitute for mayo and basil.

What is the perfect BLT? How about some wild and crazy recipes? I’d love to hear them. We should mellow as we get older. We should be more open to change. Let’s try something new on our beloved BLT this year. Tell us how you make your sandwich or tell us where we can go find the ultimate BLT.

And while you are thinking about tomato sandwiches don’t forget to add your favorite county restaurant and signature dish.