Tomato sandwich article ignites another Civil War

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Captain Morgan

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from last weeks Charlotte Observer, this article got over 100 comments,
and things got ugly. Can't imagine what would have happened if
the topic was barbecue....go to the link and read some of the comments....truly worthy of something this board would do... :D





Mater madness

The true taste of summer in the South : White bread, mayo and red, ripe tomato.

By Kathleen Purvis
kpurvis@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Tuesday, Jul. 21, 2009
Consider the tomato sandwich.

It's an excellent example of the maxim that the simplest ingredients yield the highest reward: Bread. Mayonnaise. Tomato. Salt. Pepper.

You can debate each element – which bread, which mayonnaise, which tomato. But add anything more and you've gone too far.

You may be able to buy a tomato in January, but you can achieve tomato sandwich greatness only in the months of tomato perfection. Earlier than July or later than September and you should forget it – eat grilled cheese.

Of all the foods that define Southernness, the tomato sandwich may be right up there with grits as the true dividing line. Molly Mullen can tell you that. A native of Charlotte who works at Wells Fargo, Mullen celebrated the Fourth of July the best way she knew how. She invited a couple of dozen friends for her first annual Tomato Sandwich Social. She emphasizes “first annual” – it will return, she says.

She went to the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market a week in advance, to make sure the tomatoes were at their peak for the party. She bought $65 worth of eight or nine kinds. “We had Mr. Stripeys, Purple Cherokee, all kinds of heirlooms, the regular beefsteaks.”

She sliced them up, put out bread and mayonnaise – Duke's for the purists, Hellman's for everyone else. Friends brought cold salads and appetizers, and Mullen threw in 4 pounds of bacon for those who insist.

At first, she discovered, the people who were not from around here didn't get the concept. Those from other regions wanted toasted bread, lettuce and bacon.

“They wanted club sandwiches,” she says. “They did not understand the concept of the white bread, tomato, salt and pepper.” (We won't tell you how they reacted to the fried green tomatoes.)

But Mullen cajoled and fellow Southerners instructed. The two sides eventually came together.

“Those Yankees here are like, ‘A tomato sandwich – what else do you put on it?' I say you have not experienced the true treasure of life if you haven't had a tomato sandwich.”

The newcomers who tried it came around, she said. They went through all the bacon, all the tomatoes, three loaves of white bread and one of ciabatta. And everyone is still talking about it, she says.

Summer is long and the tomatoes are plentiful. So we'll concede that you might get your fill. We've included recipes for a couple of variations on the tomato sandwich. But before you make them, consider the wise words of Molly Mullen:

“Sometimes, the simplest things in life, you think you have to make it better. And you really don't with a tomato sandwich.”

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/508/story/845450.html
 
Cool article. I have only made them when I ran out of lunch meat...and it was good.. ;)
 
2 thick slices of maters...Helmens Mayo, salt and cracked black pepper on wonder bread (white)...PERFECTION FOR ME!!
 
yep Greg, that's the classic...except you must use Duke's mayo, you stupid Yankee.


btw, I'm interviewing her a week from tomorrow at 9:30 am if anyone
wants to listen in. We'll be talking bout the sandwiches, but also
regional food preferences and why people get so riled up.
 
Captain Morgan said:
yep Greg, that's the classic...except you must use Duke's mayo, you stupid Yankee.


btw, I'm interviewing her a week from tomorrow at 9:30 am if anyone
wants to listen in. We'll be talking bout the sandwiches, but also
regional food preferences and why people get so riled up.
Where do we listen to the interview Captain?
 
Captain Morgan said:
www.wezv.com

I'm still trying to find a recipe for tomorrows show..suggestions?
Thanks!!! Recipe? Hmm, How about a classic Captains Slaw recipe!! ;)
 
sapo, Greg is actually helping us set up podcasting at our website
so we can get some shows on the net....unfortunately, none exist now.
I do have some tapes we will be putting up, including the Flay interview,
and a hilarious segment on piemento cheese ( I was forced to admit
I stole a jar from a party because it was so good). We'll be recording
and hopefully will have more shows ready soon. I just need to get with
Greg, and he won't return my phone calls.


and I stink at slaw.
 
Ok Jim.. I have a Iphone now and love listening to podcasts, even the BBQ Central ones... :shock: :shock: :shock:
 
Capt. its all in the sauce. You make slaw out of almost anything. I have made slaw with bacon in it. :D I should dig that one out for these guys.

Slaw rules:
Tangy Sauce
Crunchy things
Chewy Things
Chilled

That is pretty much what I follow and I can send you one of my slaw sauce recipes if you like.
 
I hate grating the cabbage. I like KFC style slaw, and usually just
buy it. The slaw I like goes good on bbq sandwiches and hot dogs (and burgers). It must be small bits of cabbage and carrot, vinegar and
some creaminess. I can eat any slaw and like it, but that's the kind
I want to perfect. Trouble is I hate making it, so I don't work on it
much.
 
Chris, a lot of southern favorites come from the days
before and after the Civil war......people had to make
do with what they had, and they didn't have much.

What they did have was cooking skills, and they were able
to take easily grown foods like tomatoes, collards etc and
make them delicious, mostly due to pork fat. I love the
history of American food.
 

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