This tomato sandwich is comfort food for me. It’s the kind of quick and easy meal that I’ll gravitate to on days either too long, or too hectic, to have time to reach for anything else. It’s also a reminder of where I came from. It’s savory with a hint of garlic, creamy thanks to my favourite Gay Lea Cottage Cheese, and nice and bright with those, ripe, in season tomatoes.
Living in Canada, it’s sometimes hard to pin-point global food. We are such an amazing melting pot of cultures here! It’s especially great in and around Toronto, where every street corner offers an escape to another part of the world. Even in my little farm town I have Mexican, Indian, Portuguese, Japanese, and Thai restaurants within blocks of my house. It’s amazing.
I’m pretty darn Canadian though…
Me personally, I grew up in a classically “Canadian” house. My grandparents are the children of British immigrants. My great-great grandfather was just a toddler when he took a steamship to Canada from England. On the other side it’s even further back, those great-great-great grandparents sailed here.
Quick meals were a staple when I was a little thing running through the forests at our cottage. Anything my Mom or Nana could whip up in 5 minutes or less was optimum because I always had somewhere else I wanted to be.
Tomato soup with buttered bread to dip was common, almost as common as just grabbing a slice of bologna and running out the door.
The one thing I remember my nana always talking about though was tomato sandwiches. She loved them, my mom loved them. Even my Papa’s dad was knows to be happiest with a green tomato sandwich. For me though, it was always a few thick slices of tomatoes from the garden across the street between a couple slices of white bread, and a few strips of cheese. Some salt and pepper was all it needed, and you were good to go again. This was a staple to my grandparents and great grandparents, and something that I’ll still reach for on those days where it feels like nothing else will fit.
I’ve changed it up over the years, fiddling with the cheese, the bread, and even adding in other toppings (like avocado slices). My favourite way to eat a tomato and cheese sandwich now though is like this: a crusty slice of baguette rubbed with a clove of garlic, then toasted until lightly brown. A few spoonfuls of Gay Lea 1% cottage cheese, a few cracks of pepper, and then a couple slices of perfectly ripened tomatoes. After that it’s just a drizzle of olive oil and it’s ready to enjoy.
This tomato sandwich is a creamy, savoury version that I could eat just about any time of day, and it takes just minutes to throw together – it really doesn’t get any better!
Now, here’s the recipe for the easiest tomato sandwich ever!
Tomato Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 x 4" piece of baguette with the top sliced off
- 1 clove garlic, cut in half
- 3 tbsp cottage cheese
- 2 x 1/4" slices tomato
- freshly cracked pepper
- drizzle olive oil
- freshly chopped chives
Instructions
- Rub the cut end of the garlic over the bread. Place the slice under the broiler until the bread starts to brown.
- Spread on the cottage cheese, then top with the tomato slices and some freshly cracked pepper.
- Drizzle on a very small amount of olive oil, then sprinkle on some freshly chopped chives.
Disclosure: I am part of the PTPA Brand Ambassador Program with Gay Lea and I received Compensation as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.
