Summer snack

I was hungry on a Sunday afternoon after cleaning up accumulated kitchen clutter. I was thinking about the pain au levain (French sourdough) that I picked up yesterday at the PRFM and what I should do with it. We had one ripe tomato left that we picked up from Hennessey Farms last weekend. Inspiration struck in a simple tomato sandwich.

I should admit that I've never actually had a tomato sandwich. I suppose it comes from living in New England where summer tomatoes are really not that spectacular. But when you live in the south, tomatoes are a whole different story, especially when you know the farmer who grew them and they are gorgeously red and you don't want to waste it.

So, I sliced my pain au levain pretty thinly and put it into the toaster for a light toast. Then I grabbed the mayo -- I like Kraft -- and slathered a generous amount on the bread. I sliced the tomato about the same thickness and laid them on top. Perfect fit like they were made for each other. Then a nice sprinkling of kosher salt (my current preference) and freshly ground black pepper. I figured an open-face would be less mess than a full sandwich. I'm not sure if this theory was sound.

The sandwich was messy, for sure. The juiciness of the tomato ran through the mayo and into the bread. So much for the moisture barrier. Maybe I needed more. A bit soggy if you let the sandwich sit, but I sure didn't. A bit of the mayo-tomato juice dribbled through my fingers. I wiped it up with the last bite of my sandwich.

So delicious. A truly simple snack. I look forward to them all through the summer.