Monday, January 28, 2008

A Sink Sandwich

I have wracked my brain trying to decide what I would write about today. There were so many things on my mind that I couldn't, let us say, get into gear this morning. Mac and I walked around deciding where to put the tomato bed (believe it or not, it's getting time to start the plants from seed and when they are big enough, they'll have to have a summer home.) We've already decided that the only tomatoes we'll grow this year are going to be Mortgage Lifters. We understand that the name comes from the man who perfected the strain and that he sold so many tomatoes he was able to pay off the mortgage on his house. Hence, Mortgage Lifters. I remember the first year we grew them, they were huge, softball sized tomatoes with an outstanding taste. My grandmother would call this a "sink sandwich". After scalding the tomato, removing the skin and slicing it into big slabs, we'd mayo two slices of bread, lay one piece (yes, I do not lie, one piece) of tomato onto one piece of bread allowing it to hang off the sides, add salt and pepper to taste, apply the top piece of bread and then stand over the sink while the juices ran down our hands and into the sink. A Sink Sandwich, see? Do you ever get those little "spit pains" in your mouth when you think of something that is so good and so far out of reach that the only thing your mouth can do is hurt? That's what I am experiencing right now. It's more complicated than "my mouth is watering", you see. It's not a literal pain, but an actual pain, one where you have to close your eyes, get an image in your head of that which is taunting your tastebuds and shake the image away. Image gone, pain gone. But here I am writing about it and the pain stays. I know, I know...there are tomatoes in the grocery store. But they are not good tomatoes. They certainly are not local tomatoes. And they are not our tomatoes. They are hot house tomatoes that can never get soft enough to make a sink sandwich;until they've rotted, that is...and then no longer fit to eat. The past few years we've also grown other types, such as Celebrity (good, not great) and tommy toes (little cherry tomatoes) or others. We do our best to stick with heirloom tomatoes, not hybrids. But I think that is where we are failing. We need to stick with one and only one variety. We need to start our plants earlier and not have so many that should we experience another "Easter Snap", we are unable to save the crop. I wish I had a picture to share with you of me racing against time to throw sheets and tow sacks over plants last year, and then out the next morning to remove them, praying that we were successful. Unfortunately, the drought ended what hopes we had of a good crop of anything, much less tomatoes. But this year, things will be different. I have that feeling. And the only 'maters in the garden are going to be Mortgage Lifters. Hmm. Looks like I made up my mind what I wanted to write about. I'd give nearly anything for a good old sink sandwich right now. Pardon me while I go shake the image out of my head and the spit pain out of my mouth.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Man...I'm not even hungry having just come from the tea, but a good old sink sandwich would really, really hit the spot!!
*smile*drool*smile*

Mockingbird Hill said...

Spit Pain?? Good Lord, I am going to spit if I keep laughing like this!!

Actually, my Father & family came from the deep south and 'mater samiches were a staple of my childhood. I am a Southern girl..loves me some Duke's Mayo, white bread and 'maters...and an extra side of okra fried in corn meal, if you please... ;)

Cassie

Vee said...

Ohhhhh, spit pain sounds about right. And how does it feel to know that you are single-handedly responsible for torturing your blogging buds? What I'd give for a mortgage lifter or any decent tomato right about now...hmmmmmmmm

PAT said...

O my goodness Sandi, there you go reminding me it will be July in Missouri before we get a "real" tomato! That sink sandwich sounds sssooo gggooooddd.

I see you saw through my real reasons for changing those beds around!

Pat

Kari (GrannySkywalker) said...

Where do you get the seeds for those? We did some cherry tomatoes that did almost okay last year and some patio tomatoes that did...well, almost okay, too. I'm planting more plants this year, though. I love tomatoes more than anything in this world (food wise, that is!). I haven't had a good tomato sandwich since the last time Grandma and Grandpa did a garden (and you know how long THAT'S been!). You've got my mouth watering now. Thanks a lot. lol
Love you,
Sissy

david mcmahon said...

Hi Sandi,

Mulling over where to put the tomato bed? How about we set it up in my garden here in Oz? Summer here, long days, lots of sunshine. I'm an avid gardener. I'll look after it for five months and then fly it out to you to transplant in your garden in our winter.

Deal?

By the way, I loved your comment about ``it's a smart man who knows when he's beaten''. Still smiling at that!

Unknown said...

Hi Sandi,

I have never planted anything except flowers so when it comes to this I am totally in the dark here. So you had better show some photos as you start planting in the spring. :-)

Mary Isabella and Kiley too! said...

Hello,
I lovetomatoes. Good post...Mary

Anonymous said...

Girl there is nothing better. In the summer time I bet I eat one a day.
We even have a fruit stand that sales food and we set on the deck and eat. Yep I order a Tom. sandwich $1 hehe great stuff.

Justabeachkat said...

We never called them sink sandwiches in our family, but I've had plenty of sandwiches just the way you described them. Standing over the sink, leaning in close and gobbling it down as the juice and mayo ran down my wrists. Oh my! Good stuff!

Hugs!
Kat

kari and kijsa said...

Those sandwichs sound delicious...LOL...a sink sandwich...can't wait to see the crop!

Have a blessed day...

smiles, kari & kijsa

Mary said...

Oh I love toms like that and I can taste them too! When in Spain a friend make bread and tomato salad. Use stale bread broken into small pieces , moisten with a little olive oil add garlic and large peeled chooped up juicy toms. Mix well to gether and into the fridge for about 30 mins Delicious!!!!!

Sandy McTier Designs said...

I've nver heart of such.
I'm one of those weird peole that like tomatoes but don't like them raw - like them in salsa or soup.

Hope you have a wonderful week.

Blessings,
Sandy :)

Love Bears All Things said...

Yum! Nothing I like better than a tomato sandwich unless it is Bologna and tomato or BLTs. We plant tomatoes, even in the city. Last year I bought a plant called Patio Tomato. Just one as I was trying different varieties. We had 5 or 6 in pots on the Patio. This one did the best. It is compact, large leaves to shade the tomatoes and conserves moisture. We had a better crop than the year before but still it was over too soon.
Thanks for making me hungry,
Mama Bear

Anonymous said...

Sandi, I remember the Easter snap last year because we woke up to a white lawn and it ruined my blooming azaleas...not a pretty Spring at all. When do you plant your tomatoes? Earlier than May 1st? Sink tomatoes...love that term. :)

Sandy said...

Hi Sandi - we're starting to think about our garden too. We grow several kinds of tomatoes and then I roast/freeze them.
Hard to think about "garden" though with all of this snow we have been getting!
Sandy

Christine Boles said...

Wow~ talk about mouth-watering writing! I sooooo want one of them thar Mortgage Lifters on white with mayo!

Or cooked up in an omelette with some fresh herbs...can you imagine?

Whoops~ sorry if I added to your pain!

david mcmahon said...

Yep, the omelette option sounds great. Maybe with some herbs and a sprinkling of grated cheese?

Wanda @ Just Vintage said...

LOL Spit pain. Yes. I have it often, but mine happens when something is on it's way to my mouth. Now I know what to call it.

Those tomatoes sound wonderful. I've never heard of that name.

Jeanne said...

Oh Sandi you making my mouth water girl. Love tomatoes and there's not much better than a tomato sandwich with mayo. Mmmmm.

Am'n2Deep said...

My favorite food on the planet: Home grown tomatoes! (I kid you not!) You are a woman after my own heart. I was experiencing those "spit pains" before you described and labeled them. I've always wondered what that sensation is called. Now please, excuse me while I take a time out to shake the image out of my head!

Anonymous said...

Girl I would love to take care of you! You could sit around and tell me your wild stories hehe.
She says she reads,but all I see in Enquire and news.

Jeni said...

Is there anything better, really, than a tomato sandwich, from tomatoes fresh from the garden? I think not! Sure did bring back loads of memories of summers of my childhood and teen years -mainly at my uncle's home -with my aunt, uncle, their 4 kids and me, crowded around the kitchen table that held two loaves of bread, a large plate full of sliced tomatoes, mayo, salt, pepper and a jar of peanut butter. Peanut butter? Yes, PB because my youngest cousin, foolish child that she was, hated tomato sandwiches -come to think of it, she still does, 50 some odd years later. No accounting for taste though is there! Great post!

Jo Beaufoix said...

0h, sink sandwiches are the best. I loved this post. And I had no idea there were so many types of tomatoes. :D

LivingTheLife said...

Sink sancwiches, Mortgage lifters and spit pain...my oh my!! I have learned so much today. I've been wondering all these years what that pain in my mouth was...I am glad to know it has a name...just the perfect thing to bring up at the next stuffy cocktail party or at the MIL's house for dinner...that should shake some things up a bit. I LOVE it!! My hubbin is going to love the sink sandwiches, too...and I could always use some Mortgage Lifters...where oh where do I find them???

Blessings...
Teresa