Open Faced Heirloom Tomato Sandwich
July 9, 2018 by Nicole Collins
I wish I could tell you all of the things I've bought just because they're pretty.
I mean, seriously.
If I had a nickel for everything I've bought over the years that I didn't need but had to have because of how pretty they were, I'd be soooooo rich that I could buy even more pretty things that I don't need!
About 2 weeks ago, I woke up REALLY early. I was up a good 45 mins before my alarm clock was due to go off. And, I was wide eyed and bushy tailed. I'm a total early bird; so while most people would've rolled over and gone back to sleep, I decided to get ready and make a trip to Walmart.
I already had Walmart on the agenda for that day, but I was stoked to be able to get the run out of the way so I didn't have to waste my lunch break to do it...or even worse, go after work.
Let me start by saying, I HATE my local Walmart. HATE IT! I've written them a few customer complaint letters and received no response. I curse them out every time I go there. But, it's so cheap and convenient (it's practically across the street from my house), so I continue to go there and continue to hate it.
Of the 3 things on my list, my local Walmart did not have any of them. Now, I wasn't looking for some crazy exotic items. I was looking for shampoo, deodorant, and a plastic container. And, I walked out without all 3!
So, since I was so early that morning, I beat the traffic and got out to where I work with lots of time to spare. And, there just so happens to be a much bigger, much better Walmart not too far from work. So, I tried a “take two” for my items.
I found exactly what I was looking for, and was speed walking towards the register to make sure I'd be on time for work (because, you know, one Walmart trip unexpectedly turned in to two Walmart trips).
As I was racing towards the registers, I caught this glimpse of beauty out of the corner of my eyes. I literally stopped in my tracks, turned around, and walked back towards the shiny rose gold objects that caught my eye.
Right before me were these BEAUTIFUL copper cooking utensils. Spatulas, ladles, serving spoons, measuring spoons...a whole row of them! I stood there and ogled at them for longer than I should have. I picked them up, held them, put them in my basket, took them out of my basket, put them back in my basket, took them back out one last time, then finally decided I didn't have time for my usual games; and I had to leave them behind.
That's probably the only time in my life that I've ever shown any willpower at all when it came to something shiny and pretty.
And, you better believe the next time I go to that Walmart, they're going in my cart.
(I did look for them about a week later at my local Walmart; and OF COURSE, they didn't have them. This is one of many reasons why I HATE my local Walmart!!!)
I say it all of the time, but I swear I was a raccoon in another life, or something. I see something shiny, and I can't help myself.
I think that's why I love heirloom tomatoes so much. They're a little pricier than your average hothouse tomato. They taste fairly similar to a good, in season tomato. But, man are they pretty!!!
We're celebrating beauty today by making a super simple Open Faced Heirloom Tomato Sandwich!
This sammie is kind of a riff on a BLT. But, we're switching it up a little. Because, that's what we do here on The Yummy Muffin!
For the toast, you can use whatever kind of bread you like. I like a nice big piece of whole grain bread. Just make sure you have lots of surface area to make room for all of the things we're layering on!
Instead of mayo as the glue for our sammie, we're making a bacon goat cheese spread. So, it's kinda like checking off 2 for the price of 1 on the BLT checklist! It's as simple as mixing some softened goat cheese, some crispy bacon, a little extra bacon grease, and some black pepper. Stir it up, spread it on your toast, and try not to eat it straight from the bowl.
The last step is to add a little fresh spinach (which I prefer 10 times over instead of lettuce) on top of the goat cheese, then pile high our gorgeous heirloom tomatoes. Make sure you get one of every color, shape, and size tomato. It's like making art on toast!
This is definitely easier to eat with a fork and a knife, but I'm not judging if you just go for it and bite right in. And, since we get two toasts in one serving, you'll be nice a full even though this is a fairly lite lunch.
Alright guys, I know you're probably as mesmerized as me by these gorgeous heirloom tomatoes, but I need you to focus long enough gather the ingredients you need to make this asap. Then, you can go back to “ooooooooo, aaaaaahhhhhhhh” mode.
So enjoy, take in the beauty of today, and let's eat!
Open Faced Heirloom Tomato Sandwich
Serves: 4 Print
Ingredients:
8 oz goat cheese, softened
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 tbsp leftover bacon grease, slightly cooled
½ tsp pepper, plus more to taste
4-5 heirloom tomatoes, sliced
1 cup baby spinach
8 slices whole grain bead (or bread of your choice), toasted
salt, to taste
Directions:
In a small mixing bowl, add goat cheese, bacon grease, crumbled bacon, and black pepper. Stir well to combine.
Spread 1-2 tbsp goat cheese mix on each piece of toast. Top with spinach and heirloom tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Enjoy!
Recipe notes:
*To make this ahead, slice all of the tomatoes and store them in a container in the fridge. The goat cheese mix will can also be stored in the fridge for about a week. Just pop the goat cheese in the microwave for 10-15 secs to soften it back up when you're ready to use it again.
*You could certainly use any kind of tomato for this, but heirlooms are so pretty!
*Use your favorite kind of bread. I like whole grain or multigrain bread. Just make sure there's lots of surface area to pile on all of your tomatoes!
*Feel free to use lettuce instead of fresh spinach if you prefer it.
