Tomatoes are not forever.

Tonight I had a BLT.  It was a multigrain artisan bread. Bacon from the farm. Organic leaf lettuce and a gorgeous Cherokee purple tomato from my garden. On the side, some homemade giardiniera and a perfect avocado with nothing but fresh lemon juice and French gray sea salt.

A BLT is one of my favorite things on earth. BLT's, San Francisco cioppino, cheeseburgers and Chef Carl Thorne-Thomsen's flash-fried octopus are just about the only things that keep me from becoming an orthodox Jew. That and not being Jewish.

Because edible tomatoes have a season, BLT's have a season. Right now they are perfect. 

I cannot for the life of me understand why restaurants continue to offer tomatoes on sandwiches through the winter. Is it just because they are too lazy to change the menu, or put up a sign that says the tomatoes are not up to standards?

I credit Jasper's in Kansas City that they refuse to do one of their signature appetizers when tomatoes are terrible. Admirable, but just the first step. 

I have a serious pet peeve. Chef Pete Peterman might relate to this - why in the day livin' shit does anyone put a sickly, anemic, pathetic, off-season, hot-house grown and gas-infused zombie tomato on a sandwich? Or a salad? Or anything else? Dear lord. Off season tomatoes are total crap. Don't offend my sensibilities by trying to convince me otherwise.

DD