Sandwiches

Let’s talk about sandwiches for a second.  I really like a good sandwich.  But the key word there is “good”.  You can’t make a good sandwich without good ingredients.  Anyway – we’ve had a hot July here in Boston.  Really hot.  Hot hot hot.  And I do not do hot well.  And I do not have air conditioning in my apartment.  So you’ve got to know that there was NO WAY I was heating up ANYTHING in my house.  I was sweating just standing there, hot food wasn’t going to be any part of that equation.

When I was working on Meyers Farm in Bethel, I used to eat lunch with the Meyers family every day.  Lisa used to come up with some of the most creative delicious meals that I have ever had – she had a way to make a pot of beans taste like heaven – but one of the most memorable meals that I had on the farm was one day when Lisa was out of town. 

Tim had been working with me all morning in the field, and as we went into the house, I saw him carry in a bag with cucumbers, a head of lettuce, and a bunch of cherry tomatoes.  I washed my hands, and Tim sliced the veggies thickly, slathering mayo on homemade wheat bread, and piling them on.

He placed a sandwich on a plate and handed it to me.  I’ll admit, I was skeptical.  There was no meat.  There was no cheese.  Veggies were great….you know….to go with something.  Right??

WRONG.

I took a bite, and was in sandwich heaven.  I couldn’t believe the taste.  The crunch.  The juicy tomato melding with the mayo.  (I’m getting hungry just thinking about it).

So a few weeks ago, when I opened my CSA box and discovered lettuce, cucumbers, and a tomato, I knew I had to get my hands on a good loaf of bread. 

I walked around the corner of my house to Clear Flour Bread – a delightful bakery that just won the 2013 Best Bread in Boston award from the Improper Bostonian, and was instantly overwhelmed (in a good way!) with all my choices.  I would like to say that I asked the ladies working there to fully explain each breads’ ingredients before choosing one.  I did not.  I picked two at random, asked what made them different from each other – and chose one of them.  I ended up with pain meunier – an incredibly tasty bread that has a funhistory.

Bread in my bag, I walked home, and set to work. 

Bread – check.  Mayo – check.  Tomato, cukes, lettuce – check.

  

BEST. SANDWICH. EVER.       CHECK.