My Favourite Sandwich
Whenever I meet other artists, I always ask them how they refill their creative buckets. For me, gardening and cooking are a big part of how I unwind and get new inspiration.
I’m lucky enough to have a large, south-facing backyard, which is just perfect for growing tomatoes.
Every Summer, I plant a lot of tomatoes, and so I’ve kinda perfected my tomato sandwich game. Pictured here is the harvest from the other day in a pierced hand-built bowl I recently made.
Check out my recipe below for one of the best tomato grilled cheese sandwiches you’ll ever have.
Please let me know if you give it a try—I’d love to hear if you like it as much as I do!
Here's the recipe.
Tomato Grilled Cheese:
1 Fresh Tomato (ideally picked from your garden and still warm from the sun)
2 Slices of olive sourdough bread or other good bread (I'm lucky enough to live a few blocks away from the Downie Street Bakehouse here in Stratford)
3 Slices of aged white cheddar
Handful of shredded mozzarella
Pesto (I love to make my own each year)
Fresh chopped basil if you have it on hand
Good butter (seriously, it's worth the splurge)
Salt* & Pepper
Slice and salt the tomato—this is key as it means you don't have a soggy sandwich (trust me). Layer ingredients between the bread. I like: bread, butter, pesto, sliced cheese, tomato, basil, mozzarella, butter, bread. Then grill it in a grotty old cast iron pan that you bought 20 years ago.
Enjoy on your favourite hand-made plate!
Want something a little more simple?
Here's my recipe for a regular (non-grilled) Tomato Sandwich:
Slice of sourdough bread toasted
Butter, then mayonnaise (trust me, you want both)
Fresh basil
Fresh sliced tomato
Salt* & pepper
Best eaten either over the sink or outside.
Would you make any changes? What's your favourite way to eat fresh tomatoes?
Curious how I hand-build my plates and bowls? Check out these two popular workshops:
➡️ Hand-Built Plates & Oval Dishes
* Springing for some good salt is 100% worth it in my opinion! When I was in Newfoundland last Fall I bought some delicious Juniper Smoked Salt from the Newfoundland Salt Company, and it is pretty perfect with tomatoes.
