Tomato Sandwich with Basil Mayonnaise

Sometimes when you have access to incredibly beautiful, fresh produce, it seems like almost a crime not to keep it simple and let its natural flavor shine. A tomato sandwich may not seem terribly exciting, but damn this was good. And the basil mayo is unbelievable! I had extra and figured I would make another sandwich in a day or two, so I sealed it in a small container and tucked it away in the fridge. Less than an hour later I cracked it open, dipped crackers in it and polished it off. Maybe you're not as weak as I am, but I dare you to keep this stuff around for more than a day or two. (If you can resist temptation, you should really consider utilizing your special talent by working in an ice cream parlor or chocolate factory.)

TOMATO SANDWICH WITH BASIL MAYONNAISE

Yield: 3 servings

Basil Mayonnaise:

1 cup good mayonnaise

10 to 15 basil leaves, chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon good olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

6 slices country loaf bread

2 to 3 heirloom tomatoes, sliced

1.      Whisk together all the basil mayonnaise ingredients.

2.      Spread basil mayonnaise on each slice of bread. Place sliced tomatoes on top of three of the bread slices. Place remaining bread, mayonnaise side down, on top of the tomatoes. Cut each sandwich in half and serve.

from Ina Garten (quantities tweaked)

gigantic bunch of basil I bought at the farmer's market

basil, lemon and garlic

all the basil mayo ingredients

basil mayonnaise

not heirloom tomatoes

(They didn't have any heirlooms at the farmer's market, but these
were fresh and juicy - everything I could ever want in a tomato.)

basil mayo generously spread on bread

The original recipe had a yield of 1 sandwich for 1 cup of basil
mayonnaise. I changed the yield to 3 sandwiches because even I
couldn't imagine eating an entire cup of mayo on just one
sandwich. Although after you try this mayo, you'll want to try.

tomato slices on top

tomato sandwich with basil mayonnaise

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