Shades of Rudy Vallee’s My time is Your Time. Well, to me, My Time is Tomato Time.
But, my regular reader knows that.
Response to previous columns has brought a half dozen ways of cooking the bacon, which is the ‘B? in BLT, which I know you know.
The George Foreman grill has been suggested most often, even by the not-so-young generation, who shouldn’t even have such a device. And, wouldn’t except for gifts from the easily influenced, now-generation’s suspecting there-must-be-an-easier-way-to-do-everything thought process.
Also offered was oven broiling, micro-waving, outdoor grilling and counter-top toasters. One even agreed with my method . . . fry it in its own fat until you can’t stand to wait any longer, and lay it on some paper towel until the toast is done.
It is my belief, which I won’t bother to research to see if I’m wrong, that bacon has more flavor if it further seasons itself in its own grease.
But, I’ve strayed from my main subject today, tomatoes. Chef Kathleen (Daelemans), writing in the Sept. 4 Detroit News, headlined her column, ‘Tomato season means drip-down-your-sleeves goodness.?
I agree with her there, and I agree with her opening statement, ‘So many tomatoes, such a short season!?
But, then she says her favorite way to eat tomatoes is to slice them and sprinkle them with a little sea salt.
What’s wrong with Morton’s Iodized salt, the salt that supplies iodine, a necessary nutrient? That’s what the box reads. Of course, all chefs have to offer something not found in a single man’s cupboard.
Like Chef Kathleen says ‘Sometimes, I’ll add boccacini (baby mozzarella balls), and instead of sea salt I’ll use a sea salt blend that has rosemary and lavender in it, something you can find in gourmet markets.?
The only Rosemary I know is Clooney and she had Rosemary’s baby, and I never liked lavender anything until I saw our 4-year-old granddaughter dressed in it.
Chef Kathleen also lets the cut tomatoes (which she apparently doesn’t peel, as I do) stand for 30 minutes so they break down a little and start throwing their natural juices. We’re left to assume that prior to the 30 minutes the juices are unnatural and still in the quarterback’s hand.
Another thing Oakland County’s Chef Kathleen and I agree on: You can’t have too many BLTs in tomato season! Then comes another disagreement. She feels no guilt in splashing on the mayonnaise, of which she says there is no substitute in building a BLT.
(Whoops, I just read further, she does prefer her BLT tomatoes skinned.) And, we agree Italian bread is best, but we disagree on using lettuce. There is no ‘L? in my BLTs.
As for the mayonnaise, it’s too sweet. Make my spread Miracle Whip, and lots of it.
Chef Kathleen is the author of ‘Cooking Thin with Kathleen, 200 Easy Recipes for Healthy Weight Loss.?
Maybe her BLT recipe is in her book, but no one is going to lose weight preparing BLTs the way I do, and eating them three times a day, as I sometimes do, with at least six slices of bacon each.
Let’s hear one more chorus, ‘My Time is Tomato Time.?