THE tomato sandwich. A first-timer’s tale
Late last night after a dinner of pasta and garden tomatoes a strange thought occurred. Not once in the dozen years I have lived in the South have I eaten a tomato sandwich. In fact, if you define such sandwich as sliced summer tomatoes, white bread and mayo, I had never — not once — eaten one. That seemed an amusing Facebook update, so up it went.
Despite the advanced hour of the posting, I quickly racked up more than 40 responses. “What’s wrong with you?” asked the aghast. “It’s a pre-requisite for citizenship,” they huffed.
The recipes that started pouring in were, of course, simple and repetitive: Tomatoes (just picked), white bread (the “no nutritional value” kind), mayo (has to be Duke’s, say most), salt and pepper (enough to turn the tomato black, according to one fellow).
One person suggested an advanced version that involved cream cheese, ground dill and Splenda, but she was quickly booed off the stage.
“No whole wheat bread, no dill, no lemon, no cream cheese. It has to be white bread, white mayo, white salt, black pepper and tomatoes — warm from the sun if you can get them,” someone responded huffily.
As a food writer, I was quite familiar with this basic sandwich. In fact, I can’t mention a summer tomato in a story without someone writing an email to the effect of, “Mmm, mmm, ‘mater sammich!” and directing me to make one and stand over the sink to catch the juices.
Yet I had never once been tempted to try it.
Though we’ve been growing backyard tomatoes for the past several years at home, we default to an olive oil dressing — often with chopped shallots and a splash of vinegar, but sometimes with basil and a mozzarella we deem worthy of the tomatoes. For a sandwich, we pack these ingredients into a split baguette with a little prosciutto throw in for good measure.
Of course, I grew up before the Age of Caprese. Olive oil was something I saw in the gourmet foods aisle next to the tinned octopus, but not something my folks kept in the kitchen. Nor did we have a vegetable garden. Instead, we bought our summer tomatoes from roadside farm stands on the way to the Jersey shore. Once we got to the beach house, we made BLTs with toasted white bread, Hellman’s mayo, iceberg lettuce and Oscar Meyer’s finest. “There’s nothing like a Jersey tomato,” my mother would sigh.
I went to bed thinking, and then dreaming, of tomato sandwiches. So when I woke up this morning I went out to the garden and found one perfectly ripe Cherokee Purple tomato that pulled from the vine with a nudge.
I thought of making a nice BLT. I thought of the Holy Trinity of tomatoes, basil and olive oil. I then thought of the seeming apostasy of mayonnaise. I really should try it…
This project involved a run to Kroger because our bread choices consisted of English muffins or a multigrain loaf that promised enough fiber in each serving to last through the recession. Nor did we have prepared mayonnaise.
Most of my friends recommended Duke’s mayonnaise. One said Kraft had a preferable “lemony” flavor. North Carolina chef and author Bill Smith wrote a great piece about the tomato sandwich and admitted, with perhaps a touch of contrition, he preferred Hellman’s.
“Duke’s seems too sweet to me,” Smith writes, “but I refuse to get really worked up about this. People should suit themselves. We’re talking about lunch , not a historical re-enactment.”
So I went with Hellman’s, hoping I’d tap into a vein of flavor nostalgia that would explain the tomato sandwich to my tastebuds. I almost bought Sara Lee white bread, but couldn’t go through with it. I haven’t had a piece of squishy white bread stick to the roof of my mouth for years, and couldn’t see going back. Pepperidge Farm white would be plenty soft.
And so I made my sandwich: a thick-but-not-too smear of mayo on each slice of bread, two juicy rounds of my prize tomato, salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
Holy. Freaking. Face-stuffingness.
I’ve been missing this all my life?
How do you describe a taste that your soul already knows but your tongue says is a novel thrill?
I get it.
The mayo and the anodyne bread put the sweetness and acid of the tomato in high relief with their richness and ballast.
That tomato — rich in natural glutamates that make the mouth water and the tongue tingle with the sensation of umami — belongs as much between two pieces of bread as a juicy burger or a mound of warm corned beef.
I felt stunned by the yearning receptiveness of my tastebuds to this flavor, but not too stunned to eat a second sandwich. This must be as close as I’ve gotten in life to reproducing the sensation of suckling.
I had to run to work, but not before giving one of my daughters precise instructions on how to make her own sandwich with the leftovers.
“Tomato with mayonnaise?” she asked incredulously. “Gross!”
“Trust me,” I said.
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105 comments Add your comment
tab
July 12th, 2009
10:48 am
Nothing like a mata samich!! Getting ready to have one for lunch!!yum!!yum!!yum
mas
July 12th, 2009
11:52 am
I was salivating when reading your description of making the sandwich. I have been eating these as long as I can remember (and that is a long,long,long time). I think I’ll get some tomatoes from the neighbor’s bush. Yum!!
Lisa
July 12th, 2009
11:54 am
I will try the pineapple sandwich too. I actually have some here.
Paddy
July 12th, 2009
12:30 pm
Marsi Thrash… your tomato pie is just like mine except I add crumbled, crisp bacon on top. Pineapple samich and tomato pie tonight for us.
Paddy
July 12th, 2009
12:42 pm
PS…if you are making tomato pie, be sure to put your tomatoes between a couple slices of paper towels. Drains the moisture and won’t get the pie crust soggy.
Marc
July 12th, 2009
12:49 pm
The arrogance of you Southerners
. What you don’t know is that there is no such thing as Southern food. I was born in Chicago and have been eating tomato sandwiches for as long as I can remember. What southern food is – is a subset of country food. My mom grew up on a farm in northern Ohio and the food she cooks and the food that my Grandmother cooked were – for the most part the same as what I’ve had in the south as “Southern Food” Some ingredients may change but not much else. So don’t go claiming the tomato sammich as your invention. 
james
July 12th, 2009
4:50 pm
well a good acid tomato make the sandwich with duke’s with black pepper and salt.give this try sometime fry green tomato and (if you can find it round ga) curtiss bologna fries or not either way is good.
james
July 12th, 2009
4:59 pm
i have been buying my good tomato( at fruit stand ) acworth ga they were from bainbridge ga. i do believe.i looking for some from wrens ga. we all wasted ours money buying tomatoes from supermarket.some look good but taste like water. no taste at all.
Marvin VR
July 12th, 2009
5:08 pm
That sandwich needs bacon, lettuce and some cheese to make it real good. Maybe a little mustard as well.
E
July 13th, 2009
12:00 am
Ah, tomato sandwiches. So glad you wrote this and that you finally understand the joys. I do have to say that this is probably the first time in the history of the world the tomato sandwich has been combined with a sentence like “The mayo and the anodyne bread put the sweetness and acid of the tomato in high relief with their richness and ballast. HA! Around here we just say “That’s real good!”
Good bread is required most of the time, but for this sandwich, the white, soft squishy stuff is the only way to go. Dukes or Blue Plate if you cant get Dukes, and I usually skip the salt and pepper but sometimes they are added.
And these comments….Pineapple sandwiches, scrambled egg sandwiches – oh my, memories of my childhood flooding back now!
Where is the best place to get produce in and around Atlanta? | Best Of The Big A
July 13th, 2009
7:30 am
[...] juicy beauty stars in a simple delicacy that is a highlight of the season. Check out this great Southern summertime treat that our food blogger John Kessler discovered in recent days. For those who’d rather let someone else prepare summer’s bounty, take a [...]
tc
July 13th, 2009
5:11 pm
Ok, the tomato and pineapple are good. But nothing bets a good old banana sandwich, mmmmmm! Add a little peanut butter and it’s even better.
Danno
July 13th, 2009
6:12 pm
I hate to say it but I long for the Jersey produce of my youth. I can’t compare Jersey tomatoes to Southern ones since I hated raw tomoatos as a kid(Strange for an Italian.) but I will swear by sweet white Jersey corn and those amazing peaches.
What do they do with all of those great Georgia peaches? Certainly they don’t send them to the grocery stores here. Maybe they send them to Jersey?
Angie
July 13th, 2009
10:28 pm
OMG – I had a craving for a “mater sammich” last night. So of course – I had two. You have to finish the tomato – it’s just the Southern Way… I may have another tomorrow : )
BShepC
July 14th, 2009
9:59 am
Ohhhh..I am so glad you have joined the rest of us. Tomato sandwiches are the best thing about summer in my opinion. Every summer I eat so many I get ulcers in my mouth. Totally worth it.
Melodie
July 14th, 2009
10:15 am
After a full day of eating “shower food” , the hostess and I settled in Saturday evening and had a tomato sammich right out of her garden- Sunbeam white bread, mayo , salt & pepper. The ONLY fancy item I added was some fresh basil, also out of her garden! I use Duke’s mayo because one of my old college roommates owns the stuff, so I feel loyalty to her family, but any good mayo will do.
Paula Massey
July 14th, 2009
1:30 pm
May I quietly, with some intimidation say, “If you don’t have white bread in the house, the sandwich would still be absolutely wonderful on WHEAT BREAD!” (SORRY!)
Stephanie
July 14th, 2009
4:20 pm
I am from georgia, lived here my whole life, and HATE tomatoes. Is that so wrong? My whole family eats them like one would eat an apple, On the other hand I refuse to even eat marinara sauce.
Stephanie
July 14th, 2009
4:24 pm
And I love Mary Kay Andrews!!!
bettyjoan
July 14th, 2009
5:31 pm
What a fantastic post, in honor of a fantastic sandwich. This is a beautiful example of food writing–so vivid and colorful, I could practically taste what you were eating. Bravo!
Bill
July 15th, 2009
10:27 am
Separately, the ingredients are bland. The magic comes in the fusion of fresh squishy white bread, mayo, vine ripened tomato, & salt. Maybe a little pepper but nothing else can be included & still be called a tomato sandwich. Other ingredients like cheese, bacon, wheat bread, etc. can produce a great sandwich but it has to be called something else.
John Kessler
July 15th, 2009
11:35 am
Thanks for all the comments, everyone! I’ll let you all know when I’m ready to break the pineapple barrier.
I also have to say we ran out of white bread, and the sandwich on whole grain wasn’t the same. Fiber can wait…
R.G. Mertlin
July 15th, 2009
11:44 am
I’m having a hard time with the comment about Ruskin tomatos. Any tomato grown in Florida south of soil that is the same as south Georgia’s tastes the same as store-bought in January.
Audrey
July 17th, 2009
11:45 am
WOW…it took some reading, but I finally found someone who knows the best mayo to use…BLUE PLATE… I am soon to be 53 yrs old and I have always used it….Had some fresh from the garden tomatoes last week and you can bet I had 2 sandwiches for dinner that night!! They are the best. Doesn’t matter who started eating them and where, they are just plain darn good!
Anne-Caroline Brown
July 20th, 2009
1:58 pm
If you want to try another terrific southern sandwich, and I mean really southern, try having a banana and Hellman’s mayonnaise sandwich, also on white bread. I know it sounds totally gross but don’t knock it till you try it! If you think about it, the concept of bananas is not totally foreign….. after all they are two of the major components of Waldorf Salad. Give it a shot and let me know what you think. I promise not to disappoint! PS Make sure you use a healthy amount of mayonnaise, i.e. don’t skimp.
Anne-Caroline Brown
July 20th, 2009
2:00 pm
meant to say the concept of bananas and mayonnaise is not a foreign concept….
I am full of unusual, offbeat southern food ideas. I am the one who submitted the Biscuits and Chocolate recipe for the Food Section a few years ago…. did you ever try that heavenly combo?
http://www.ajc.com/living/content/living/food/stories/southernfood/2007/02/08/020807FDsouthern.html
Dash
July 20th, 2009
5:29 pm
After about 4 true to form Tomato Sandwiches, I was ready to try a slight variation. Same white bread, but Trader Joe’s Wasabi Mayo and a light drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar. Mmmmmmm
LFord
July 21st, 2009
1:42 pm
All these posts and not one suggesting Durkee’s Famous Sauce on one side!?
Dash
July 21st, 2009
2:17 pm
But, you’ve got to have bananas, mayo, AND peanut butter. Then just lay on the couch.
Dash
July 21st, 2009
2:24 pm
Banana and mayo WITH peanut butter.
Martha
July 21st, 2009
5:41 pm
You, my friend, are now a TRUE southerner!!
Stephanie
July 22nd, 2009
12:47 pm
Enter your comments here
Stephanie
July 22nd, 2009
12:55 pm
My whole childhood came back. Our fresh grown tomatoes shared liberally with our neighbors and plain white bread tomato sandwiches. No lettuce, no frills, no cheese (though we did cheat and add some sometimes). But definitely Hellman’s. Don’t think we had Dukes in upstate NY. My mom’s dill pickles were a nice extra. One of the great summer treats!! Now I have to make some here. How could I ever have forgotten! Thanks for the memories.
darrell simmons
July 23rd, 2009
6:28 am
while reading of tomato sandwiches (fantastic), one mentioned adding vidalia onion. no.
a great separate sandwich: same white bread, vidalia onion, dill chips and yellow mustard.
thanx.
Pippa
July 24th, 2009
12:48 pm
I’m so glad that you discovered what we Southerners know you’ve been missing, but next time try Blue Plate Mayonnaise. Ain’t nothin’ better!
Pippa
July 24th, 2009
1:08 pm
P.S.: I also highly recommend the pineapple sandwiches and the banana sandwiches. And you just MUST try fried GREEN tomatoes, if you haven’t already.
veronica jett
July 27th, 2009
2:28 am
OMG I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU THAT YOU HAVE HAD A TOMATOE SANDWHICH OMG IT IS THE BEST THING EVER TO BE HONEST I HAVE BEEN EATING THEM FROM A LITTLE CHILD AND NOW IM 20 AND MAYBE WITHIN THIS PAST YEAR I HAVE EATIN OVER 300 I EAT MAYBE FOUR A DAY AND MOST PEOPLE WOULD THINK THATS BAD BUT IT HAS ACTUALLY HELPED WITH MY HEALTH AND I FEEL LIKE I HAVE MORE ENERGY SO IM SO HAPPY FOR YOU *KEEP ON EATIN THEM* =)
Becky
July 27th, 2009
1:20 pm
Love the John Derst bread with tomato, Blue Plate Mayo, salt, pepper and sometimes a slice of onion on it..Add to this Lay’s regualr chips and a tall glass of cold milk..Doesn’t get any better than that..
Betsy D.
July 27th, 2009
3:01 pm
Bless your heart for having missed out for so long!
helen nita staros(fontsere)
July 29th, 2009
12:04 pm
brings back such wonderful memories of summer’s in decatur, ga!! mama bringing in a sack of fresh house grown tomatoes from my grandmother(mimi’s) backyard. and then asking out to my brother, myself and friends ,’who would like a tomato sandwhich for lunch’?!! they’re also great w/ HOMEmade sweet bread & butter pickles too! just pour a little juice at the end…prrrrfect! yum, yum, yummy!! =)
Paddy
July 31st, 2009
8:06 am
Blue Plate mayo??? Why not just put Miracle Whip on it also then throw it in the trash can. Hellmann’s folks, Hellmann’s.
Patricia
August 12th, 2009
12:17 pm
It is Duke’s all the way!! My husband loves a slice of VIDALIA onion on his tomato sandwich. If the bread does not stick to the top of your mouth, then you are definitely using the wrong type of bread!
Laurie
August 14th, 2009
1:39 pm
My name is Laurie. And I am addicted to Tomato Sandwiches. Found this post after googling “Tomato Sandwich Addiction,” which I did after polishing off two in a row and debating having a third. I believe one summer you’ll find me face down in a gutter with a jar of Hellmans in one hand, a loaf of Pepperidge Farm White Sandwich bread in the other, and tomato juice dribbling down my chin. I like Hellmans – it’s what I grew up with in Jersey. Also, the PF white bread is firmer than wonder and not as stick-to-your-mouth. I don’t use pepper, b/c I never did growing up – didn’t like it then. But a good sprinkling of salt. Don’t put away the ingredients either, b/c sure as heck you’re going to want another when you finish the first. I get my tomatoes now from an organic CSA in virginia. This is the second week they’ve had full-size ones in the bag, and I think I may have eaten 10 tomato sandwiches in as many days. The kids don’t understand why we keep running out of white bread (normally, I only eat whole grain, but a tomato sandwich requires white bread). I have always felt a little guilty about the white bread thing – but it just tastes so right with the tomato and mayo….and to find that so many other people feel the same way! And how fanatical people are about their other ingredients. anyway – enjoyed reading this page.
Jennifer
August 19th, 2009
12:54 pm
Nope, Blue Plate mayo rules. Raised up with it, my grandfather bought nothing but Blue Plate. My mouth is watering..hankering for a ‘mater sandwich!
Lynn
August 19th, 2009
7:43 pm
Holy is the right word…the holy trinity of the south…white bread, mayo and fresh picked, juicy tomatoes. I’ve tried all kinds of mayo and I honestly don’t think the kind matters but you must have white bread. To keep it from getting soggy, eat it as soon as you make the sandwich…believe me, it won’t last long enough to get soggy! Ummmm, my mouth is watering….
Claudia
August 24th, 2009
11:31 am
Now, in Brooklyn in the 1950s, the ONLY bread used for a tomato sandwich was good Jewish Rye Bread. Didn’t matter if you were Sicilian or English. Rye bread was the way to go. With Hellmans. And yes, we did have fresh tomatoes, off the vine, straight from the backyard garden. It didn’t matter how small the yard was, if you were Italian, you grew tomatoes. Or, in my father’s case, Dutch.
Sam888
August 24th, 2009
1:01 pm
At least we can all agree on mayo, if not which mayo. Miracle Whip is just disgusting on anything, but on a tomato sandwich, it’s a crime against humanity.
Regina
December 15th, 2009
11:35 am
I don’t know how I stumbled across the article, but I’m glad I did. I’m a GA native and until now I didn’t think of eating a tomatoe sandwich, but they are pretty good. I just used what I had in the fridge, some left over garlic bread, a few slices of tomatoe, and some hellman’s. It was really awesome, probably my favorite sandwich, well maybe after a french dip.
Charlotte Poole Harrell
February 12th, 2010
5:16 am
I found this site just googling my sister helen’s name, and found my niece, Nita helen Fontsere. Those huge, home-grown summer tomatoes in her grandmother’s, my mother’s garden–oh my, I had the privilege. They were large, satiny, golden/green as much as red on the outside, but a deep, wine-red inside, and big as your open hand. They shivered as Mama sliced them thick onto white bread (there’s another kind?) and salted and peppered them with her dainty touch. Yes, the ultimate they were, just like that. However, if she happened to have slices of a honey-baked ham in summer, she might stop ever-too-busy me for lunch–and add to the famous tomato sandwich– slices of the tenderest ham. She’d watch me enjoy this, her big blue eyes shining, and a little smirk on her face at seeing me descend to earthly delights from my busy writing and drawing, in the coziness of her home.
Jimmy Goad
May 26th, 2010
10:58 am
I like JFG Mayo, but Blue Plate is good also. Mayo, white bread, salt and pepper. Adding anything else, then it aint a mater samich.