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Sacred · August

The first tomato sandwich.

There is one sandwich, made on the day the first big tomato of summer ripens, that is better than any other sandwich you will eat that year. This is it.

3 min Serves 1 Sacred July–August
🍅
Prep
3 min
Cook
0 min
Total
3 min
Serves
1
Difficulty
Sacred

Why this works.

Soft white bread + good mayo + cold ripe tomato + salt = the only thing worth eating on a 95° August afternoon. Don't try to improve it.

Don't toast the bread. Don't add lettuce. Don't get fancy. This recipe is perfect.

Steps.

  1. Spread mayo on both slices of bread. Edge to edge. Be generous.
  2. Slice the tomato into 1/2-inch rounds. Save the juice.
  3. Layer slices on the bread until you can't fit any more without falling out.
  4. Salt heavy. Pepper heavy.
  5. Close the sandwich. Press gently.
  6. Eat over the sink. The juice will run down your arm. That's part of it.

Vihaan's tips

  • Cherokee Purple, Brandywine, or any meaty heirloom is best.
  • If the tomato isn't sliced thick, the sandwich is wrong.
  • Don't refrigerate ripe tomatoes — it kills the flavor.
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