Tonights dinner

[Kdog]

Been getting plenty of tomatos but tonight we had a special treat.

One of our heirloom tomatoes finally ripened. It a variety that has been in my family over 100 years. (Grandfather was 74 when he passed away, I was 7, am now 58, He had raised the tomatos in germany and they brought their seeds along when they immigrated) I got my first seeds from my grandfather over 50 years ago and have successfully grown them every year since. It has been identified as "Old German". Its a bicolor tomato with IMO great flavor although not as good as my Belgiums but is less finicky than most varieties and has always produced for me.

Anyhow, two slices of fresh sourdough bread, toasted golden brown. Generous application of mayonaise to 1 side of each slice.

Assembled as follows
1 slice bread mayo side up, two leaves of iceburg lettuce, 3 strips crisp bacon, one 1/2" thick slice of old german, lightly salt the tomato, 3 more strips of bacon, couple more lettuce leaves, capped with remaining slice of bread. Butterfly cut because the bread is so big. Enjoy with a big glass of lemonade.

Living in Ohio which I feel grows the best tomatos in the world. Early summer is always special as I get the best BLT anywhere and there is something very unique about that flavor combination that always marks the true start of summer for me.

BTW this years first heirloom was a bit over 7" in diameter and 3-1/2" thick and weighed in at 23 ounces (my PB first heirloom of the year)

If you have never tried the true heirloom tomatos you should. The flavor is incredible and with my variety, I can say not everyone likes all of them. Each has a unique taste and flavor profile. It not a simple matter to say a tomato is a tomato.

I have always been fascinated by the giants and love a beefsteak type so I really concentrate on them.

I have and continue raising the following varieties
Delicious, 2-3 pound tomatos but finnicky about conditions and disease
Old German, 1-2 pound fruits and relatively tolerant of most conditions
Giant Belgium, 3-5 pound fruits needs religious tlc or you loose
Brandywine pink, 1 pound fruits, from amish country and good growers, Best tomato for a burger IMO
Mortgage Lifter, 1 pound plus, from WV easy grower, good flavor

I have a couple sauce tomatos as well but only raise every couple years as dictated by the wife. She makes a couple kinds of sauce and when her stock starts running low, time to make more.

 

[Jig Man]

That sounds good and congrats on the heirloom. I had ta settle fer fried catfish and the fixins...

 

[AllenOK]

As a professional cook, and someone who has prepared Heirloom tomatoes, my hat is off to you! Especially the use of toasted sourdough (which I have a weakness for). That sandwich sounds like a good one. I know it would sell in some of the country clubs I've worked at.

Unfortunately, I just don't like raw tomatoes, even Heirlooms. Sorry......

 

[Kdog]

AllenOK,
Nice ting about the true beefsteak tomato is it holds up to grilling as well. A little carmelization changes the flavor profile. But I know that not everyone likes tomatos (Personally I like to think its because those red wet things sold in stores are just that red wet things lacking in flavor or anything else that makes the true vine ripened tomato something special) I figure it just leaves more for those of us that really like them.

Being a meat and taters kinda guy. I am not into fancy sauces, some of the fine dining establishments claim to serve fresh asparagas but then they drown it in sauces and expect accolades for it. Fresh and lightly steamed. a little S&P and maybe a pat of butter and a squeeze of lemon juice IMO it does not get any better than that. OTOH. I do not envy a professional chef who has to make substandard foods taste good

Growing the heirlooms is kinda fun. Unfortunately they do not travel well nor do they have much shelf life. Once sliced, they must be consumed. Once picked, they can sit around for a day or two. I take a couple dozen to my sister in Florida every summer who loves them but rarely eats tomatos because as she says "Ohio tomatos are special and do not grow right anywhere else" I've taken her garden soil, plants, etc over the years and she can grow them but they do not have the flavor. She lives in North FL and when I'm bringing tomatos, there is always a party and she has several friends that like her are ohio transplants and the BLT's we grew up with are considered a delicacy.

 

[hookup]

Gotta hand it to you ... I've never had luck growing tomatoes. It's a gift.

I make a BLTS that's awesome. Learned the receipe on Triple D's. Bacon, Lettuse, tomatoe and shrimp. The shrimp knocks the sandwich out of the park.

 

[Fatman]

I grow em for the wife but can't stand eating them raw. Made into sauce for spagehtti is ok though!!

 

[hookup]

some of the fine dining establishments claim to serve fresh asparagas but then they drown it in sauces and expect accolades for it.

Agree w/ most sauces.

I'm not a big fan of the rich creamy sauces that kill asparagas, but do make a cold marinated asparagas sandwich that kicks.

Cut of the black diamond pieces on the asparagas (why? - not sure, but guess the foo foo chefs think they are bitter, but i do it because the show said to), then steam, let cool, then soak overnight in a sparse mixture of EVOO and italian dressing in the frig.

I can eat so many of these that it makes my pee stink.

 

[AllenOK]

Try wrapping a little prosciutto around a stalk of asparagus. Do a whole bunch. Grill them until al dente (the prosciutto will act kind of like bacon). MMMMMMMM

Drizzle some asparagus with EVOO and season with some Montreal Steak Seasoning. Grill for a couple minutes. Serve and eat immediately. MMMMMMMM

 

[Kdog]

We do the prosciutto also just plain old bacon. Have done corned beef... not recommended, but me, I like em fresh from the garden, lightly steamed, a pat of butter, some parsley and lemon juice