Lemon basil, Duke’s, Arugula
Dalton Jones, Private Chef, Durango, CO
Dalton (@daltycooks) is now a private chef in Durango. Prior to moving to Durango, he was an executive chef in Denver and he also spent nearly three years at Husk in Nashville where he worked as a butcher and sous chef. Before working in restaurants, Dalton was actually working as a paramedic in New Mexico. So besides saving your life, he knows a thing or two about delicious food.
As the summer months progress, so does the bounty of delicious produce. In the Southern U.S., summer is the heavyweight champion of the seasons, and one of the most ubiquitously beloved ingredients are heirloom tomatoes. Combine those with other fresh ingredients, lather on the Duke’s mayo, pile it all on some fresh sourdough, and you have the super fresh taste of summer.
Heirloom tomatoes are especially delicious because they are naturally high in sodium. Because of this, make sure not to over salt them. However, by adding the salt early, you temper some of the acidic bite, and also pull a little bit of the liquid out, which helps keep your sandwich from becoming soggy.
I like lemon basil in this application for it’s bright, lemon zest like quality. It lends another layer of freshness to this dish. I picked mine up from a local co-op, however, if you can only find an Italian basil, this will work just fine. Basil and tomatoes have always been good friends.
Finally, a note of Duke’s mayo. Duke’s is a “heavy duty” mayonnaise with a luxurious texture and distinct tang. You can mix other ingredients into it and it will not thin out as quickly as other mayo brands. You’re almost always better off just buying the good stuff and seasoning it how you like. And I just prefer it.
- Dalton Jones
Yield: 2 sandwiches
Ingredients:
2 large heirloom tomatoes
Always keep them at room temperature to avoid having them become mealy
4 slices sourdough bread
1/2 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/8 cup + 1 tablespoon Duke’s mayo
Fresh lemon basil, about 2 tablespoons chiffonaded
You can sub Italian basil
1 cup arugula
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Method:
Slice tomatoes 1/4” thick, lay slices on a plate, and lightly season with salt and pepper. Let them sit while you prepare the rest of the sandwich.
Smear the tablespoon of mayo on one side of each piece of bread. Deeply toast the bread “mayo side down” in a cast iron skillet over medium low heat. When done, remove and place the bread toasted side up on your cutting board.
Chiffonade lemon basil. Mix with 1/8 cup mayo and season with salt and pepper.
When the bread has cooled slightly, smear the basil mayo on the toasted side. By keeping the toasted side of the bread on the inside, you get the delicious flavor, but don’t have to deal with hard bread scraping up the roof of your mouth. Layer on onion, tomatoes, and arugula. Use a serrated knife and slice on a bias. Or don’t!
Heirloom Tomato Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 large heirloom tomatoes
- 4 slices sourdough bread
- 1/2 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 1/8 cup + 1 tablespoon Duke’s mayo
- Fresh basil or lemon basil, about 2 tablespoons chiffonaded
- 1 cup arugula
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Slice tomatoes 1/4” thick, lay slices on a plate, and lightly season with salt and pepper. Let them sit while you prepare the rest of the sandwich.
- Smear the tablespoon of mayo on one side of each piece of bread. Deeply toast the bread “mayo side down” in a cast iron skillet over medium low heat. When done, remove and place the bread toasted side up on your cutting board.
- Chiffonade lemon basil. Mix with 1/8 cup mayo and season with salt and pepper.
- When the bread has cooled slightly, smear the basil mayo on the toasted side. By keeping the toasted side of the bread on the inside, you get the delicious flavor, but don’t have to deal with hard bread scraping up the roof of your mouth. Layer on onion, tomatoes, and arugula. Use a serrated knife and slice on a bias. Or don’t!
Notes
Check out lanyapcookery.com for more chef recipes and on-demand cooking classes!