The BLT Three Ways
Fresh, tomato-off-the-vine season is winding down (cue tears).
It occurred to me to play around with America’s most-loved food acronym: the BLT. So, here, three recipes for different turns on the BLT: a sandwich, a soup, and a salad. (Also, three versions of the salted and cured pork that we lovingly call “bacon.”)
We begin with the bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. It rings all the right taste bells: crispness and acidity enfolded in juiciness (tomato), fat and salt (bacon), and umami (tomato and bacon). It even provides a fine background canvas (bread and lettuce) against which all these tasties display their best.
What a sandwich. The best of them all?
RECIPE #1: Baguette BLTs
Makes 4 sandwiches
Ingredients
1/2 pound thick-cut smoked bacon
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, if desired, and thinly sliced
Several red or green leaf lettuce leaves
1 long or 2 short baguette(s), split horizontally
Directions
Place the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook, turning occasionally, until crisp and brown on both sides, about 6 minutes. Remove from pan; drain on paper towels.
Mix mayonnaise with fresh basil in a bowl. Spread evenly onto open sides of baguette(s). Arrange tomatoes on one side. Layer with bacon slices and lettuce leaves. Place other side of baguette on each. Slice on an angle to create 4 sandwiches.
RECIPE #2: Gazpacho with crispy prosciutto
Serves 6-10, depending on portion size
Ingredients
6-8 slices prosciutto
2 cups firm-crumbed bread, crustless, cubed
1/2 cup water
5 ripe, medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 English or 1-2 Persian cucumber(s), peeled and chopped
4 leaves romaine lettuce
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 large white onion, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or rice vinegar
3 cloves garlic
Directions
Make the crispy prosciutto: preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place a wire rack on a large baking sheet. (Alternatively, if you don't have a rack, you can roast the prosciutto on a parchment-lined baking sheet.) Arrange the prosciutto slices in a single layer on the rack and roast until quite crisp, 6-8 minutes. Roughly crumble the prosciutto and set it aside.
Make the gazpacho: Place the bread and water in a bowl and let the mixture rest for 10-12 minutes, or until the bread has absorbed most or all of the water. Transfer the bread mixture to a very large bowl; add all the remaining ingredients and toss everything to combine well. In the bowl of food processor or blender, purée everything until smooth. (It may be necessary to do this in batches.) Using a sieve or china cap, strain the gazpacho over another large bowl, unless you prefer a slightly coarse soup.
Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours until very well chilled. (Gazpacho may be prepared up to 8 hours ahead. Keep covered and refrigerated.) To serve, ladle gazpacho into chilled bowls or cups, topped with the crumbled crispy prosciutto.
And, RECIPE #3, a BLT as salad, the Panzanella (scroll down): chunks of tomato, Romaine, pancetta, and toasted ciabatta, all dressed al’Italiana. Click or touch here (scroll down) to access the recipe on this site.