There is nothing on earth as good as a BLT and the Perfect BLT begins with a fresh tomato picked off the vine in your own garden.
Last night, Nancy went to her little garden pots on the patio and hand selected the first plump, ripe, cherry-red tomatoes of the season. This is like Opening Day for a baseball fan, and pushing December 25 in rank of days of importance. I absolute love BLT’s and the first one of the season is extra special. But there’s more to a BLT than just tomatoes.
There is also bread to consider. In my daily journey to Kroger’s, I had to decide on whether I would be eating two regular BLTs (they were for dinner) or one Jumbo Version. I went with the latter. That means Texas Toast. Kroger’s is one of the few stores that sells Texas Toast, basically fresh bread cut into larger slices. I was in luck, they had it. The problem with regular bread slices is they are often not up the challenge of holding everything together and they fall apart. That ends the Perfect BLT right there. But Texas Toast is tough enough to hold everything, including the next most important part – the mayo.
There are three great choices in mayonnaise – Hellman’s, Kraft and, my favorite, Duke’s. Duke’s is smooth and eggy. It blends perfectly with tomatoes, bacon and lettuce. I also prefer Duke’s when I make egg salad. Good stuff.
Now for the bacon. The crème de la crème is Wrights Bacon, extra thick and consistently delicious. Recently, I have been baking my bacon instead of frying. It’s just as good (assuming you don’t let it burn) and the clean up is extra easy. So, bake the bacon until golden brown, putting under the broiler for the last few seconds, and you’re almost ready for the perfect BLT. For lettuce, I like plain old iceberg, assuming it’s fresh and crisp. One big leaf is just about right on that piece of Texas Toast.
To toast or not to toast – that is the question. With Texas Toast, I skip the toasting part. It’s hard to improve on perfection.
If you don’t have a garden or tomato vines, you may well enjoy a good Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich, but it won’t be perfect. Next spring, plant a vine and you, too, can enjoy a perfect BLT
The Perfect BLT
1 or 2 vine ripened tomatoes from your own garden
2 big dollops of Duke’s Mayonnaise
1 crisp leaf of iceberg lettuce
2 pieces of fresh Texas Toast
2 pieces of Wright’s Thick Sliced Bacon