In The South, There's An Art To Making The Perfect Tomato Sandwich

source--"https://www.tastingtable.com/1352008/southern-tomato-sandwich-art-form/



In The South, There's An Art To Making The Perfect Tomato Sandwich

BY LISA CURRAN MATTE/JULY 31, 2023 12:00 PM EST

Some summer foods are so perfect in their simplest form, it would be bordering on travesty to even think about adding a touch of this or a pinch of that in the name of elevating a classic. Such is the case with a fresh-from-the-garden tomato sandwich. In some parts of the United States, the deliciously straightforward sammie is the equivalent of summer on a plate — a nostalgic throwback to the easy, breezy, seemingly endless days of childhood memories. It's unclear — to us, anyway — why anyone would want to mess with perfection. But every year, just when garden tomatoes are approaching the perfect shade of ripeness, someone comes along with a list of suggestions meant to elevate the classic.

They'll tell you to try it on focaccia or sourdough bread. Add bacon and maybe a bit of lettuce. (Umm ... that's a BLT.) Maybe stack the tomatoes with cheese and basil. (Sounds more like Caprese on bread.) We've even heard of well-intentioned attempts to reinvent the classic as a po' boy. (The loaf was too crunchy.) And while some variations gain a following — Ina Garten's recipe with basil mayonnaise has a five-star rating on Food Network — the perfectly simple tomato sandwich popular throughout the southern United States will always be the winner in our books.

Gwinnett Magazine, a regional publication covering North Atlanta news and lifestyle, recently turned to its readers for insight into what does — and maybe more importantly, what doesn't — go into a quintessential tomato sandwich. The final word, at least according to a reader survey? Two slices of white bread, an unpeeled, fresh-from-the-garden ripe tomato, black pepper, salt, and mayonnaise. That's it — pure and simple. Of course, there are nuances; the fresh white bread, never toasted, has to be so soft it "sticks to the back of your teeth," and it's always mayonnaise, never a mayo-ish alternative. The survey's respondents even debate on exactly which brand of mayonnaise is the go-to. Duke's is the No. 1 choice, followed by Hellmann's and Blue Plate.

In many respects, the simple combination of these ingredients is kind of a no-brainer. You have bread; you have fresh tomatoes; you have mayonnaise — voila! You have lunch. But every sandwich has its history, and it's pretty clear why this one has stood the test of time. (It's a pretty safe bet the tomato sandwich predates its first written reference, but the Virginia Chronicle is widely credited as the first publication to mention the summer delight in print — in 1911.) Try variations if you wish, but if you want to enjoy the tomato sandwich Southern-style, simple and classic is the way to go.

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I will continue to put slices of fresh tomatoes on toasted whole grain bread, put mozzarella or swiss on top, under the broiler for 2 min, then eat it, with or without mayo.
I am too damned old to eat wonder bread any longer.