Whether you consider the tomato a fruit or a vegetable, we probably eat more of it in some form or another than any other fruit/vegetable. So why is it so difficult to get a decent tomato?
If you are fortunate to live in a part of the world where decent tomatoes are more plentiful, good for you.
I like a good BLT sandwich: you need five ingredients — bacon, lettuce, tomato, bread, and Miracle Whip. And you can easily find quality versions of four of the five ingredients. But finding a quality tomato is the hardest part of the equation.
Recently, I had really good bacon, a farmers market tomato, nice romaine lettuce, Miracle Whip, but the fresh, local bread had gone bad. By the time I got good local bread, the tomato went bad. And I ended up with a new tomato that wasn't from the best sources.
You could argue that the BLT doesn't need mayo or Miracle Whip; a nice avocado can substitute quite well. And if lettuce was missing, you might not even know it wasn't there.
A BLT really needs bacon and a tomato. There are a lot of lackluster bacon choices, but a good choice is within reach. Tomato? Not so easy.
Unlike other fruits and vegetables, tomatoes don't keep well. Use it or lose it. While you can do canning for tomatoes, tis not the same as a fresh tomato.
Summer is a great time for the tomato. Try an heirloom, hit the farmers market, maybe even can a few. Either way, the great tomato is rare and lucrative, and available for a limited time.
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