These Are the Best Ways to Eat Summer Tomatoes.
It’s August now, which means we’re right in the middle of tomato season, and if you haven’t planned all the ways in which you will consume their juicy, aromatic goodness yet, you better pick up your pace. These pale, watery, tasteless garbage tomatoes are just around the corner.
I have a very specific – and very special – way of eating tomatoes every summer. My mother-in-law introduced him to me in the summer when my husband and I moved across the country to his hometown in Pennsylvania. We lived with his parents for several months while we were looking for a home, and one afternoon my MIL raised his right hand to the sky and said, “Wait! I know what we need for lunch. “
Toasted sandwich with mozzarella, tomatoes and basil
This instant classic takes just minutes to prepare and tastes like self-care. Toast a piece (or 4) of bread first (this will prevent dampness later on).
Then lay out a slice of mozzarella cheese, one or two thin slices of tomato, chopped fresh basil, salt and pepper.
Place it on a baking sheet and place it under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, until the cheese begins to melt, and watch how your life improves.
I recently shared this talent with the rest of the Lifehacker staff, and they came back to me with their favorite tomato eating methods.
Tomato and mayonnaise sandwich
I knew culinary editor Claire Lower would give you tips on how to eat a tomato, and she didn’t disappoint. She dabbles in a tomato sandwich that sounds like my grandmother made me for me as a kid. (I mean this as a compliment, Claire. This woman made me a salt and mayonnaise snack and I loved her for that.)
Anyway, I’ll let Claire tell you about her sandwich:
As a kid, we always had sliced tomatoes as a side dish – just slices, on a plate, with table salt – and I still do it with very seasonal tomatoes, but my favorite way to eat a tomato is with a sandwich. …
The bread should be cheap, white and soft (it should stick to the palate) and you should spread mayonnaise on both slices. Mayonnaise is the only thing I change. Right now, I really love this Korean mayonnaise that was in the bag. (I would give you a name, but it was printed on the bag I threw away to get to the bottle inside). Mayonnaise adds flavor but also prevents immediate washout of the sandwich.
Slice the tomato – preferably right after you get back from the market – place the slices on the bread topped with mayonnaise and season with the Maldon salt. Don’t add cheese. Don’t add basil. I think you can add pepper, but I never add.
Editor-in-chief Virginia Smith does the same, but toasts the bread and replaces mayonnaise with vegan or cheese.
When I was writing this, I got hungry, so I decided to try a combination of the two ideas. I used lightly toasted bread, mayonnaise, a slice of mozzarella, tomato and salt. I can confirm that this is excellent and I don’t think he needed the cheese.
Simple caprese, yeah
We don’t need to tell you this, but if we do, you can’t go wrong with a simple caprese salad of chopped tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper. (You can drizzle some balsamic vinegar if you like.)
This is the preference for editor-in-chief Melissa Kirsch. She says she deliberately waits until August (it’s time, Melissa!) And then she will “spend whatever I have on heirlooms in the green market” before putting together her perfect caprese.
Stop messing around and just eat them
Some Lifehacker employees don’t have time for sandwiches and caprese platters. They are like, “I just eat them.” One such employee – creative producer Heather Hass – eats an old big tomato just by biting into it like an apple. “Maybe add salt if you have a little on hand,” she says.
Senior Video Producer Joel Kahn takes a similar approach: “I take a pack of grapes or cherry tomatoes (or a jewelry box if I like) and just eat them like candy.”
(Joel returned 30 minutes later to give me important information: “I just remembered packing a pint of grape tomatoes and eating it all.” I live to inspire.)
Why are you still here? Time is of the essence; go eat the tomatoes.
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