It’s peak tomato season! And that means we get to feast on the simple, yet heavenly, tomato sandwich. Everyone has their own favorite version: on white bread or Italian, toasted or not, mayo or butter…or both! But whatever version, the most important component is the fruit of the Solanum lycopersicum, the pomodoro (“golden apple”), the simple unassuming tomato. Of course. we now have a plethora of different varieties of this fruit that masquerades as a vegetable – from the hybrids developed for their ability to be mechanically harvested, picked before fully ripe, and gassed with ethylene to give them the bright red color to attract the supermarket shopper to the multitude of heirlooms with such intriguing monikers as “Green Zebra”, “Mortgage Buster”, “Black Krim”, and “Rosella Purple Dwarf”. But everyone knows that THE best tomato is the one just picked from the backyard garden (or from the potted tomato plant on the patio).
Warmed by the sun’s rays, firm, brilliantly hued, with that heavenly slightly acid and slightly sweet aroma, the homegrown version far outstrips any tomato one can purchase from the neighborhood grocery. To craft the perfect tomato sandwich, all one needs are two slices of bread (bowing to my paternal Eastern European heritage, I prefer seeded rye), a condiment (regular Hellman’s mayonnaise for me), a sprinkle of kosher salt and a big fat juicy homegrown tomato. That first bite practically screams out “SUMMER!” as the tastebuds are overwhelmed by the sweet/slightly acidic with a touch of umami tomato juices admixed with the silky and slightly sweet mayo spiked with the mere hint of saltiness, all embraced by two spongy pillows of bread. There’s no need to add bacon, or lettuce, or even the oh-so-trendy avocado, not when the fruit of the vine is so perfect.
On the Camino, it is the ubiquitous bocadillo that brings joy to the pilgrim. A simple sandwich of baguette, cheese (queso) and/or ham (jamon), and maybe a few slices of tomato (no mayo or butter or other condiment), the bocadillo is an inexpensive, substantive meal that costs only a few Euro but provides needed nourishment for body and soul. After hiking uphill for countless kilometers with sore and probably blistered feet, this unembellished concoction of carbohydrate and protein represents a delectable feast. The crunch as one bites through the bread crust with its slightly nutty and carmelized taste, the soft air pockets of the bread’s interior, the chewiness and umami and saltiness of the cured meat and cheese, the sweet/slightly acidic (optional) tomato in concert make the lowly bocadillo a symphony for the senses. It is the Camino counterpart of the celestial summer tomato sandwich.
It takes so little to construct the perfect sandwich – bread, ham, cheese, tomato – yet, what ecstasy emanates from consuming such an unpretentious food. It takes little to nourish our bodies. A simple sandwich suffices. And it takes little to nourish our souls – small acts of kindness, a smile, a word of encouragement – the things experienced daily on the Camino de Santiago. May we all share these simple “things” on our own life Camino!
Camino Musings 