Each year as I watch my tomatoes ripen, I eagerly await the first BLT of the season. Nothing beats fresh buttercrunch lettuce and tomato from the garden picked the same day. If I’m feeling fancy, I might even try my hand at a sourdough loaf. Even if it’s from the local bakery, the effects are just the same: The taste of summer and the pure indulgence of my hard-won harvest just beginning. Each year, I tweaked this recipe just a bit until I came to this simple and yet powerful combination. You can, of course, make swaps with whatever you have available to you. But for me, I always try to have these ingredients on hand during the summer season to be able to whip up this mouthwatering meal at a moment’s notice.

Yields: Two Large Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 4 Slices of Sourdough Bread
• 1-2 Large Tomatoes, sliced
• 2 Tablespoons of Tangy Mayo (I like Duke’s)
• 1 Head of Buttercrunch Lettuce
• 6-8 Slices of Applewood Smoked Bacon
• 2 Tablespoons Butter

Tools

• Sautee Pan or Cast Iron Skillet
• Oven
• Sheet Pan
• Knife

Instructions

1. Cook the bacon, making sure to keep them as flat as possible. My preferred method for cooking bacon is in the oven, which is not only convenient but also less intimidating. Simply preheat to 400 F, lay the bacon slices out on a parchment-lined baking sheet so the sides are just touching, and let the oven do the work. In just 10-20 minutes, you'll have perfectly crispy bacon, without any oil splatters. This method also keeps the bacon nice and flat, making it a breeze to add to a sandwich.

2. While the bacon is in the oven, wash your tomatoes and lettuce.

3. Slice the tomatoes into thick, half-inch slices. Add salt and pepper on both sides of each slice. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP! Allowing the salt and pepper to draw out the tomato's flavor is critical to the best BLT experience.

4. Melt one tablespoon of butter in a hot pan over medium heat. Add the sourdough, two pieces at a time, and toast both sides, adding the second tablespoon of butter with the second batch of toast.

5. Assemble the sandwich! The order should go like this: toasted sourdough, half a tablespoon of mayo spread out, 2-3 large pieces of lettuce, 3-4 slices of tomato, and 3-4 slices of bacon, topped with another piece of toasted sourdough with half a tablespoon of mayo spread on it.

6. Enjoy immediately!

You can use any tomato for this, but some of my favorite varieties for fresh eating include Celebrity Plus Hybrid, Sunset's Red Horizon, Watermelon Beefsteak, and New Yorker. In my opinion, buttercrunch lettuce is the best for sandwiches, but use what you have! Even mizuna or microgreens could be delicious in a pinch.

This recipe is the best because it is simple yet enhances the natural flavors of the few ingredients it uses. No need to add anything fancy other than what is listed! The tanginess of the mayo and sourdough, the freshness of the lettuce and tomato, and the sweet and umami element from the bacon are enough to bring me to my knees any day of the week. I hope you try your next BLT this way and enjoy it just as much as I do!

Lara Wadsworth, True Leaf Market Writer

I am a native of Southwestern Michigan, where I also reside, and I love all things plants! I got a Bachelor's Degree in Horticulture and found the first work-from-home job I could get. Now, I spend my days writing for TLM, playing with my dog, eating delicious food with my husband, and plotting my next landscape or gardening move. I believe everyone should get down and dirty in the soil now and then. Happy Gardening!