BLTs make an easy summer dinner or lunch when tomatoes are at their prime and available in your garden or local farmers’ market.

BLT: The American Tradition

Bread, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayo create America’s second most popular sandwich, right after the grilled cheese sandwich.

This American tradition can be traced by cultural anthropologists to Victorian England, where it was served as a tea sandwich and appeared in British cookbooks in the 1920s. Americans’ fondness for the sandwich began with a Hellmann’s Mayonnaise ad campaign in the 1950s.

The most important ingredient in a BLT is the tomato. August is their peak season, and there are so many ways to enjoy fresh tomatoes (see other recipes here and here). Did you know that tomatoes are actually a fruit? Read more about it here. Making your own mayo will elevate your BLT, especially if flavored with garlic. You can find an easy recipe here.

BLT and various fresh ingredients on a cutting board

BLT Sandwiches

Magda Born

BLTs make an easy summer dinner or lunch when tomatoes are at their prime andavailable in your garden or local farmers' market.

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Ingredients

Toasted bread
Lettuce or sprouts
Four slices of bacon
Mayonaise
Thinly sliced tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Gather your ingredients
Food for the eye as well
Render bacon
You can try making your own mayo. It is not difficult, but it does take patience. Add garlic for a special flavor.
Do not skip toasting the bread.
Try adding different ingredients to your BLT, such as basil and fresh mozzarella.
Enjoy!