Eat Me A Tomato Sandwich

It won’t be long before I’ll be fixing to eat me a tomato sandwich.

Tomatoes, like peppers, came from the new world. They didn’t exist in Europe until some folks sometime after Christopher Columbus took seeds back across the ocean with them. There was no tomato sauce or tomato paste in Italy until sometime after the year 1590. All those Italian dishes we all like so much would have never been available without some tomatoes and peppers from America. So when you’re having some Italian food, just remember that it’s really American.

But let’s get back to tomato sandwiches.

I planted myself some Beefsteaks, Big Boys, Better Boys, Better Girls, Early Girls, Whoppers and some Romas. I planted those in the garden, but I also have some salad tomatoes planted in hanging baskets on my patio.

That first summer tomato, the first one to get red and ripe on the vine, and have that good acid taste is what I’m thinking about. I’ve just about had all I can take of those mealy grocery store ones.

I’ve got the white bread, mayonnaise, salt and pepper all ready. I even saved a big Vidalia onion, about the size of a small pumpkin, for the occasion. All I need now is for that first one to get good and ripe.

I like sliced tomatoes for breakfast. They’re might tasty with grits. And for lunch a few slices really sets off a baloney or ham sandwich.
Another way I like them is chopped up with cucumbers and onions and mixed with mayonnaise, salt and pepper. This gets even better after it has marinated in the fridge for a while.

Oh Lord, I almost forgot about fried green ones! A crunchy fried green tomato is delectable and they come off the vine early and keep coming all season. The best ones are sliced with just the right thickness, battered with corn meal and deep fried until they get crispy enough to eat like a potato chip.

A big red, ripe one is what I’m craving though. I know y’all are too. Just hang on, it won’t be too long now.

I’m fixing to go out into the garden and just watch them grow.