Tomato Sandwiches: A taste of everything that's good in the South

Photo byTrip Savvy

There are may things to love about being in the Lowcountry and one of them is definitely our food. We enjoy many specialties including Frogmore stew, she crab soup and shrimp & grits; but you won’t find much better than a regular ol’ Lowcountry tomato sandwich with local tomatoes from our local sea island farmers.

Over the centuries, the local islands from Charleston to Beaufort were a major supplier of rice, cotton and indigo to the rest of the world. As times changed, those same islands became a major supplier of sea island tomatoes to the rest of the U.S.

And, they’re so good.

Although there are many uses for them, there’s just nothing simpler, and perhaps nothing better, than a simple tomato sandwich.

A tomato and mayonnaise sandwich on store-bought white bread is considered to be one of the finest sandwiches known to mankind.

First, its simplicity.

The ingredients number just three: white bread, mayonnaise, and fresh tomato. Salt and pepper are optional. This is not a sandwich with tomato in it, but a sandwich made of nothing more than one of the sweetest South Carolina fruits.

Second, its big flavor. There’s nothing like the taste of a ripe tomato that’s been grown in the soil and warmed by the sun and never seen the inside of a refrigerator. What could be better?

Simply put, it’s a taste that should remind you of everything that’s good in the world.

Here in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, we do enjoy these simpler things. Why make something difficult if it’s not necessary?

Simple and easy to attain and prepare, here are the ingredients for the perfect summer sandwich.

•One BIG local tomato (non-local is fine if not in season)
•Bread
•DUKES mayonnaise

We won’t insult you with telling you how to make one, because you can handle that. It’s just important that you use Duke’s mayo on your tomato sandwich because the others just don’t add up to a Lowcountry tomato sandwich. Miracle Whip and Hellmann’s don’t work here, and some South Carolinians don’t even know why they make that stuff.

As far as thickness goes, that’s up to you entirely. You can slice your mater thumb-thick or wafer-thin. You can put one slice or two, or three or four, on your sandwich.

The important thing is to find your perfect tomato-to-mayo ratio and once the sandwich is prepared, walk away for a few minutes to give the fresh tomato juices time to mingle with the mayo and seep into the bread a little. You’ll be glad you did.

It’s OK if you want to jazz your sandwich up.

Some folks add cheese, pimento cheese or even Vidalia onions. Some folks even enjoy fresh tomatoes in a grilled cheese or paired with fried bologna or sliced cucumbers.

But, if you want to keep it simple, a bare-bones tomato sandwich is the way to go, and it’s a local tradition you will look forward to each and every local tomato season.