It is an exceptional time of year when our biggest worries are what we are going to do with all those tomatoes! And when we can carry on (for 45 minutes no less) about all the goings on in our garden. We both love to garden. Our mother (well, her mother, my step-mom technically) is an amazing gardener, more of a horticulturist really. Not professionally—well, she used to do it professionally but not anymore—anyway her yard is beautiful. Ask anyone that knows her and they will undoubtedly say, ‘oh, her yard… her yard’ in a manner that exudes envy. My sister and I tend to stick to the plants we can eat, but I always felt we both got that deep urge to plant something then watch it flourish from her.

BLT with Cayenne-Garlic Mayonnaise
The ideal summertime sandwich when the tomatoes are at thier peak, complete with a spicy mayo.
Ingredients
For the Sandwich:
- 12 slices thick-cut bacon
- 1 large perfectly ripe tomato
- 1/2 head tender leaf lettuce, such as butter lettuce, red leaf, or romaine
- 8 slices levain or other whole grain bread
For the Mayonnaise:
- 1 fresh cayenne pepper or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne chile powder
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
- pinch coarse salt
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
Instructions
- Place bacon in a single layer in a large frying pan over medium heat and cook until crisp. (You might need to do this in batches depending on the size of your pan.) Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Meanwhile, core the tomato and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices. Wash and throughly dry lettuce leaves and toast the bread.
- Remove the stem from the chile and thinly slice. Thinly slice the garlic clove and place on top of the sliced chile on the cutting board. Place cilantro leaves on top along with the salt and chop everything all together until everything is minced. Transfer to a bowl and stir in mayonnaise.
- You can serve everything separate for people to make their own sandwiches as they please or assemble the sandwiches yourself by spreading a generous amount of mayonnaise on each slice of bread then topping with lettuce, tomato, and bacon. Cut in half and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 412Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 894mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 16g
I don’t know about your garden, but, if you ask me, it’s that mayonnaise that’s “off the hook!” ; )
Ha, Ha! Thanks Aida!