Most of us would agree that the proper months in Missouri to enjoy a traditional bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich are July and August, when tomatoes from the garden are at their prime. But, I found inspiration to recreate that summer bliss last Friday night while watching an episode of Food Networks Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Guy Fieri spotlighted a restaurant that featured a unique take on the BLT. (Regretfully I didn’t catch the name, so can’t give the establishment or its proprietor proper credit, and Triple D’s website wasn’t helpful in locating it.) In this interpretation of the BLT, the T came from tomatoes canned at their peak ripeness, then pared with apple jelly and cooked into chutney. The accompanying mayonnaise included freshly chopped basil to add another dimension of summer-fresh flavor. Saturday night for dinner, Ben and I enjoyed my own rif on this classic sandwich. I started with a can of fire-roasted tomatoes, simmering them until it was reduced by half – this accomplished two goals: eliminating any liquid that would turn the toast into a sponge and concentrating the tomato flavor. With no apple jelly on hand, I opted not to add an alternative sweetener. Considering this is April and basil isn’t at its peak in the kitchen garden, I took out of the freezer one of the small containers of pesto I put up last summer, defrosted it and blended it into Hellman’s Best mayonnaise. The bacon came from our local meat market, Poppy J’s. The lettuce was Romaine. I then assembled the sandwiches on oven-toasted slices of Companion Bread’s organic wheat. The verdict: Disappointment…that I didn’t see that episode of Triple D until April. We sure could have used this inspiration back in December, January or February as we waited out one of the many snowfalls with which Mother Nature blessed us. Granted, I still maintain there are few things as sublime as a BLT enjoyed at the peak of summer. But, this simple but tasty meal is sure to be one way I’ll get through next winter’s doldrums.
