Summertime Means Fresh Broiled/Baked Tomato Sandwiches Heaven

These are just so perfect with summer fresh tomatoes (super fresh, picked out of the garden or fresh from a farmer’s market). Get a quality hearth baked-type heavy Italian loaf sliced thick (try out ¾ inch size) (if you prefer, you can use French bread and slice it in half lengthwise – use a baguette type).

Bread (as describe above) – at least two thick slices per person

Butter

2 slices of well-done, crispy bacon per slice of bread

Onion – your favorite sweet – sliced very, very thin, enough for a serving on each slice of bread

You could also thin slice some fresh mushrooms and sauté those lightly in butter and put them on as your first layer under the bacon if you like.

Fresh red, firm and ripe tomatoes. Cored and peeled. (You can immense them in water that just stopped boiling for a minute or two, then switch them to cold water immediately. The skins should be easy to take off. Just don’t cook the tomato.) Get enough tomatoes sliced thick to cover each piece of bread base. Cutting some of the slices of tomato into four pieces makes it easier to position the tomato over the entire slice of bread.

Fresh ground black pepper

Parmesan cheese

Shredded Mozzarella cheese for topping.

Lightly toast the slices and lightly butter the top. Wrap each piece of bread on the bottom and just up the sides with aluminum foil (non-stick kind works well) so it doesn’t become burned. When adding your toppings, none of them should be hanging over the edge of the bread. Layer the bacon first or mushrooms first if you are using them, then the bacon, breaking it to size to fit the bread, add the thin slices of onion, then position the tomato to cover the top. Sprinkle on some black pepper (fresh ground is great), then sprinkle on some parmesan.

Place all on a baking sheet in oven (or baking sheet in your toaster oven) and heat at around 350 (the temperature you use will depend on how your oven actually heats – or burns things) until you see the tomato beginning to get hot. Then pull the tray from the oven and carefully add the shredded Mozzarella cheese to top each slice, just don’t use too much as it will melt over the side. Return all to the oven until the cheese melts and just begins to brown/puff a little. At this point you can turn off the oven and let it sit for about another minute if it isn’t too well done on top. Take care that the tops do not become dried out or burned.

These open faced sandwiches are really a treat for tomato lovers. I could eat them all summer long or as long as there are fresh tomatoes available.