summertime tomato sandwich party!

As part of my love for Summer, I really LOVE fresh garden grown tomatoes. It's such a treat to have tomatoes that haven't been manufactured in a greenhouse, 5 states away, picked green & stacked in pallets, polished with chemicals & sticker'ed with a bar code. No, you want the kind of tomato that is imperfect from bug bites, warm & vine-ripened from the sun, wobbly, juicy, the simple pleasure that someone held a water hose to & checked on daily.

This recipe requires one of those good Summer garden tomatoes. My family always had a garden & as a girl who grew up with a plate of sliced homegrown tomatoes on the supper table every single day of Summer, I know my tomatoes! Mix one with garlic, herb butter, cheese & fresh bakery bread & you've got the simplest of pleasures and the perfect Summertime lunch.

Summertime Tomato Sandwich 
recipe inspired by a delicious sandwich I had at the USU food court while on a college visit with my daughter. The sandwich is called the "Marv 'n Joe" & was created by two engineering professors.

makes 1 open-faced sandwich but you can multiply everything & make 4 just as easy as 1.

1 thick slice of French bread
2 thick slices of ripe tomato
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar (balsamic vinegar would also work great, if you prefer it)
1 tablespoon butter, softened
pinch of dried oregano
pinch of dried parsley
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 slice provolone cheese
1 tablespoon shredded parmesan cheese
kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper, to taste

1. Heat oven to broil.

2. Place tomato slices on a plate & drizzle with olive oil & vinegar. Turn them over a few times & allow to marinate for a minute while you prepare the herb butter.

3. Stir together butter, oregano, parsley & garlic. Place bread on a baking sheet & spread the herb butter over the bread.

 4. Place provolone over the buttered bread.

5. Place marinated tomatoes on top of provolone. Do not overlap the tomatoes. Discard extra oil & vinegar or save it to dip your sandwich in. Salt & pepper generously.

6. Sprinkle with shredded parmesan.

7. Broil for 5 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is browned & bubbly.

P.S. This is also great using fresh herbs instead of dried & sprinkled with a bit of fresh chopped basil after you take it out of the oven.