Tomato Basil Mozzarella Sandwich

Garden Fresh Tomatoes & Eggplant

For me, summertime means fresh tomatoes.  I have a big vegetable garden and all the time and hard work that I put into it are paid off one hundred percent when I take a bite of the first garden fresh tomato of the season.  And the best way to enjoy garden fresh tomatoes is on a tomato, basil and mozzarella sandwich.

Tomato Basil Mozzarella Sandwich

• Tomato
• Basil
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Olive Oil
• Crusty Italian Bread

If you’ve never had a tomato picked from a vegetable garden then you’ve never had a tomato.  Those red things that you buy at the supermarket don’t have any flavor in them at all.  I’m surprised that they’re allowed to call them tomatoes.  Once you’ve had a tomato picked right off the vine and still warm from the sun you’ll understand why I carry salt and pepper shakers in my pockets when I’m working in the garden.

When it comes to flavor the best tomato varieties are heirlooms.  Brandywine and Black Krim are my personal favorites.  And I like to slice them really thick when making a panini.  Try them sliced thicker than a 1/4 of an inch and see how you like them.  Even though I’m a big fan of the thick slices, my wife likes paper-thin tomato slices.  Try them both ways.

Another thing I like about the summertime is that the farmer’s market is open.  Every Sunday I’ll go there and pick up some extra fruits and vegetables (you can only grow so much in a backyard vegetable garden).  My local farmer’s market also has a stand set up by an Italian deli.  They sit there all day and make fresh mozzarella right before your eyes.   You really can’t beat taking a warm ball of mozzarella home with you.

My other favorite vendor at the farmer’s market is the Amish bakery.  I’ll always pick up a semolina peasant loaf there or a kalamata olive bread.

You may see a theme here, warm bread, warm cheese and warm tomatoes.  Put them all together and grab a couple of basil leaves as well (I like to chop my basil) and drizzle the both the inside of the sandwich and the outside with olive oil.  Sprinkle on some salt and pepper, t

hen put them in the panini grill until the cheese is melted and there’s nice grill marks on the bread.

Summertime will become your favorite season too once you’ve had a tomato basil mozzarella sandwich.