Taste of Indian Summer: The BLT

As much as I hope for the crispness of autumn, around here the weather is still stuck in the hot, humidity of summer.  Since we can't yet start cooking up batches of chili or soup, most of our dinners lately have been those that require no oven or stovetop.  

Luckily, last week our tiny little tomato plant produced its first crop of the season (that is a rather euphemistic way of saying four tomatoes).  If you have never tasted a real, home-grown tomato, you have not tasted summer.  

With our perfectly ripe red tomatoes sitting on the kitchen counter, I knew exactly what to make.  For is there anything more perfect with a delicate, fresh tomato than the classic bacon, lettuce and mayo sandwich?  I use applewood smoked bacon and butter lettuce to compliment the sweetness of the tomatoes.  Also, my tastebuds enjoy a piece of pepperjack cheese and some sliced avocado atop the toasted wheat bread for the most divine combination of flavors.  So, I guess technically it's a BALTMC sandwhich, but that sounds like some Scandanavian slang word, so I'll stick to calling it a BLT. 

BLTs remind me of muggy July nights back home in Missouri where we'd sit outside until we saw the lightning bugs.  We'd nibble on the salty, savory sandwiches.  My parents would sip fresh brewed ice tea.  We'd swing on the porch or rub the dog's belly.  Those nights were the essence of a lazy summer.