Barbara Bretton: Wish You Were Here

What's Cooking?

Classic Tomato Sandwich

This wonderful recipe comes to you from Laura Oka. Enjoy!

PS: Do you have a variation on this classic or another recipe you'd like to share? I'd love to feature your favorites right here. Email me at barbaraATbarbarabretton.com (you know to substitute @ for AT) and put RECIPE in the subject header.

Now here's Laura:

I came to your website through your guest column for Suzanne Beecher's emailbookclub. I went to your website and enjoyed looking through it. I haven't read your books, but I enjoyed the except you had posted of "Someone Like You" enough that I plan to go find it at the bookstore this week--just in time for my vacation. The best part, however, was discovering your recipes. I have to admit to being a compulsive recipe clipper, and a great cookbook is as good to read as it is to cook by.

When I saw the tomato sandwich recipe it seemed like a challenge. Tomato sandwiches are sacred things to me. You can only make them in summer, when you can get real tomatoes, not the tomato facsimiles you see in grocery stores all year.

This is my version of the Perfect Tomato Sandwich:

Bread: one slice of your favorite bread. I like the Polenta Bread from "Rustic European Breads from Your Bread Machine"--cut it thick as it's rather crumbly, and toast it lightly. Slather on the mayonnaise, then add on slices of the best tomatoey tomatoes out there. On top of the tomato spread a little sweet pickle relish, then cover with a good melty cheese (Monterey Jack) and put under the broiler until the cheese melts.

Oh, it's good. Guess what's for dinner tonight!