After fighting the @#%!!! squirrels for the past 2 months, I was finally able to salvage enough large tomatoes to make BLTs and caprese salad (see tomorrow’s post).
This post isn’t intended to tell you “how to make a BLT”. Everybody knows how to make a BLT. I’m just so happy that I actually got to make a BLT with my own tomatoes (!!) that I have to share!
At T’s suggestion, we churched ’em up a bit with avocado slices. I also found an “English Toasting Loaf” ($1.00 off!) at Harris Teeter that held up really well with the tomato juice. (No soggy bread.) I also recently discovered THE BEST METHOD, EVER for cooking bacon. (Read on for the skinny.)
Ingredients
-large slicing tomato (seen here: homegrown heirloom Brandywine)
-bacon (I prefer Hormel Black Label)
-avocado (optional)
-mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
-bread, toasted (variety of your choice)
-lettuce (or spring mix – it’s what I had)
-salt & pepper, to taste
-cheese, optional
Preparation (“Perfect Bacon Method”)
Line baking sheet with foil and load with bacon slices. Place pan in oven and set to 400°. DO NOT PRE-HEAT OVEN. Cook for approximately 20 minutes, or until desired crispness. Remove from oven, place on plate, and pat with paper towels to remove excess grease. (This is a fail-proof, pain-free, easy clean-up way to cook bacon. I’ve retired my cast-iron frying pan.)
Meanwhile, halve avocado and remove pit, but do not peel. In a saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place avocado halves in pan, flesh side down, and brown. Remove from heat, peel skin, and slice. (Sprinkle with salt if you like.)
Slice tomato and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toast bread. Slather bread with mayo/MW. Layer on your tomato, lettuce, avocado, bacon, and bread (and cheese if you wanna) — in which-ever order you like. Slice (diagonal or in-half?) and serve. Smile as the tomato juice drips down your chin. 🙂
That tomato sure looked funky, but had a really nice flavor. I wasn’t expecting it to taste so different from other big tomatoes, but it sure had it’s own unique something something.
I mean, it didn’t taste like anything other than a tomato, but you know what I’m saying.
That toast was crackin’, too – definitely a good discovery for BLTs. I hate soggy bread!
Thanks, T-Bone. “That tomato sure looked funky” is quite the resounding review.