A BBT, Basil, Tomato, and Bacon, a First!

The first "real" tomatoes of the season, there is nothing like it.  By "real" tomatoes I mean. tomatoes are locally grown.  They are the only tomatoes that have that wonderful, tomato flavor, that we all crave here in the Midwest.  Tomatoes, any other time of the year, are pale red, mushy, no flavor, and expensive. Therefore I only buy them for guacamole. Sad I know, but that the way it is in the Midwest.  Therefore, when the "real" tomatoes are ready, it's like a celebration in your kitchen, a summer rite of passage, if you will.  How many tomatoes can you eat before they are gone?  How many tomato dishes can you make to savor the flavor of those bright red orbs?, Bruschetta, sliced tomatoes,gazpacho, salads galore, tomatoes and cucumber salad, grilled tomatoes, stuffed tomatoes and on and on...

So, when I bought the first "real" tomatoes, from the farm stand across the road, I knew I wanted to make a BLT.  It has been forever, since we made them. First, I toasted the bread to perfection, cooked the turkey bacon in the microwave, sliced those glorious tomatoes, and spread on the Miracle Whip, sorry I don't like mayo.  Then, I decided to get big giant leaves from my basil plant, which is a giant by now. Oh. my, the basil goes so well with the tomatoes and the turkey bacon. It was like a party in my mouth, and another layer of flavor.  Let's face it lettuce doesn't have a lot of flavor, but the basil does, just enough flavor that it doesn't overpower that wonderful tomato taste, that I long for all winter. Bye Bye Lettuce!  Now, go make yourself one of these iconic Summer sandwiches and savor the flavors of the season, pure and simple. Enjoy!

I recently received The Addictive Blog Award from Stephanie@It's not just about the recipe....  Thank you Stephanie, I appreciate this award so much and your support!

The rules for the Addictive Blog Award are:

• Thank the person who nominated you and link them back.
• Share a little bit about why you started blogging.
• Copy and paste the award onto your blog.
• Nominate up to 10 other bloggers you think are addictive enough to deserve the award.

I started blogging after seeing Julie and Julia, which I loved. After seeing this movie, I thought , Well,  if Julie can blog, so can I. (Obviously Julie, wasn't on Foodbuzz:)  You see my husband loves to cook and I cook, but baking is my passion.  This idea rattled around in my head for several months. I can't tell you how many times I would go to the blogger site, and almost press the "start new blog" button.  Then one day just like Nike slogan "Just Do It", I finally pushed the button.  Little did I know that there was a whole world on the other side of the screen of such a wonderful, supportive community.  I have "met". so many amazing people, and continue to do so. Everyday, I meet new people, and learn something new, worldwide. Thank you Julia Child!

Here are my amazing nominees:

Inside a British Mum's Kitchen

The Weekend Gourmet

Sun Flower Supper Club

Pam's Midwest Kitchen

The Country Cook

Liv Life

Go Bake Yourself

Congratulations to all of my nominees.  You are all deserving of this award, and I am so glad for all of you.  Again, Thank you Stephanie@It's not just about the recipe.. again for this award.

I  linked up my recipe to Brandie@The Country Cook's Weekend Potluck#26
Stop by and say Hi to Brandie!