I live in the undeclared Farm Stand Center of Michigan, maybe even of the entire Midwest. From asparagus in late spring to pumpkins in late fall, fresh produce is only a corncob’s throw away. And the farmer on duty understands when you ask if the corn was picked this morning.
This summer’s passion, however, isn’t local corn or local peaches or squash of all kinds. No, this season it is tomatoes. No matter what farm stand I visit those red, juicy globes call to me; and I’ve taken more than my fair share home after my gardener friend told me about tomato sandwiches.
All you need is really good bread, preferably with a crusty exterior, a chewy interior, and no preservatives. Slather the bread with mayo and sliced tomatoes topped with salt and pepper, and you have a feast. But the real trick, my friend insisted, is to use tomatoes from a farm stand because they ripened on the vine and were probably picked the same morning as the corn.
Tomato sandwiches are delicious; I’ve had one regularly for a light lunch these past few weeks. Sometimes I add fresh basil and other times chive. Sometimes I eat them open-faced and other times I double the bread. Even after I learned our Supreme Court officially declared the tomato a vegetable in 1893 (when, in reality, it’s actually a fruit), I didn’t let that diminish my enthusiasm. After all, Farm Stand season is short and I need to boost my vitamin C, biotin, molybdenum, and vitamin K before it’s over.
P.S. If you are dying to know about the Supreme Court’s tomato decision, visithttp://www.businessinsider.com/supreme-court-tomato-is-vegetable-2013-12
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