cucumbers from the garden

VEGGIE SANDWICHES

Don’t forget that you can make some mighty fine dinner (that’s the meal eaten in the middle of the day in the world in which I live) fixin’s by using fresh vegetables to make sandwiches.  A tomato and lettuce sandwich suits me quite well, although I’ll readily admit a couple or three slices of fried bacon added to the sandwich is the culinary lace on the bride’s pajamas.  Similarly, cucumbers and cream cheese, or cukes and mayo, can provide a tasty sandwich.  Or try tomatoes with pimiento cheese either as a sandwich or atop saltine crackers.  I can go through this kind of food like a dose of salts (although that might not be the best comparison when one is talking of food).  
JC

Celebrating Southern Appalachian Food – Recipes & Stories from Mountain Kitchens written by Jim Casada and Tipper Pressley


I love raw vegetables and I love bread so veggie sandwiches are one of my favorite things to eat. We don’t eat out much, but when we do I always look on the menu to see if they have some version of a veggie sandwich or wrap and of course I love to eat them at home too.

It’s hard to say what my favorite vegetables to put on a sandwich are, but cucumbers and tomatoes are at the top of the list for sure. I can hardly wait for the ones in our garden to start coming in.

If you’re interested in picking up a copy of Celebrating Southern Appalachian Food – Recipes & Stories from Mountain Kitchens you can find it here

Last night’s video: The Big Garden is Planted! & A Mother’s Day Surprise.

Tipper

Subscribe for FREE and get a daily dose of Appalachia in your inbox

Similar Posts

44 Comments

  1. Cucumbers and cream cheese or cream cheese and olives, both on butter bread, always hit the spot. We were five siblings growing up, scrounging for food was the way, so we “invented” many delicacies for ourselves. Mom worked days, dad worked nights, so we made our supper most of the time. We had white bread, but we use butter bread now, which wasn’t available when we were kids. We made up a song and sat between our bunk beds with our sandwiches, singing and eating. We lost both our parents within the last two years, but we’re all still here, all in our 60’s, and have a social media page just for us. God blessed us with each other.

  2. I absolutely love tomato sandwiches straight from the garden tomatoes, with mayonnaise. But I am disabled and can’t have a nice garden. Like everyone else, I am wanting a fresh tomato sandwich right now. Yummy!!! Praying for Granny to continue down the wellness road. God bless the Pressley and Wilson families. God bless all TBP&A gang.

  3. I never learned to like tomato sandwiches – I hate mayonnaise – but I love to make veggie sandwiches in wraps or pita pockets. Cucumbers, greens, sprouts, carrots, broccoli cuts, and some hummus spread makes a yummy lunch!

  4. Garden fresh tomatoes and mayo on white bread is so good! of course I enjoy a good BLT too! Haven’t tried tomatoes on a pimento cheese sandwich but that does sound good!

  5. Hard to beat a fresh beefsteak tomato sandwich fresh from the garden!! Thanks for your food ideas…always like to try new ideas. I can see some things in your blog mentioned that remind me of things my Grandpa used to say and do…he was born in Texas but his mom came from Alabama…I wonder where they came from prior to that?

  6. A cucumber sandwich runs the gamut of simple to fancy when I think of us eating a cucumber sandwich then think of a formal British tea serving that same cucumber sandwich, neat thought that is. PS so glad granny is doing better! My 79 yr old mom was just diagnosed with lymphoma. She’s not even gonna find out what kind. She says she feels good, and doesn’t want to endure chemo, she knows her Jesus will sustain her through her days to the end. I know you pray for your YouTube followers, so I’m sharin to get my mom every chance of every prayer.

    1. Just prayed for your Mom and for your family. I know she feels blessed to have her family. Grammy from Texas

  7. The natural crunchiness of cukes, radishes, fresh onions and lettuce always have been on my favorites list. I never cared too much for maters but toss a squash my way and I’m happy. Slap them all between two buttered slices of bread and I’m a happy camper.

  8. I try to proof read my comments, but between my mind, my eyes, spell check and my one typing finger, I make a lot of mistakes, I am sorry for doing it.

  9. Shoot, I didn’t get my tomato sandwich today, the produce stand was not open when I went by at 8:30 this morning- shucks they had wasted half of the morning! My daughter loved Cherokee Purple tomatoes and would take some of the ones I grew for her to her work while some of her coworkers would bring bread and the mayonnaise for a tomato sandwich lunch/dinner party- the only requirement was it had to be Duke’s mayonnaise, nothing else would do. I have planted some new tomatoes for me this year, it is a hybrid tomato from the Cherokee Purple and Carbon tomato and named Cherokee-Carbon. I managed to eat a few of these tomatoes last year and thought they were some best tasting I had ever ate.

    No one has ever accused me of having a good mine, it has taken me almost 8years to start planting Cherokee Purple tomatoes again. I couldn’t get past the memories of my daughter. She was killed in an ATV accident on Sept. 15 2012. My wife died April 15 2021. To much to explain but she asked me if I was going to cook her a steak supper when she came home from from her surgery, she died on the operating table. I don’t see myself ever eating another steak in my life.

    1. I’m so sorry for your losses Randy. I lost one of my daughters suddenly. She was 26 yrs old, went to bed one night and died. She had an undiagnosed heart problem. She’s been gone almost 20 yrs. My husband died unexpectedly in 2013. I understand how much it hurts to lose our family. Both my husband and daughter were saved and knew the Lord. That’s the only way I’ve gotten thru it. I think from reading your comments that you to know the Lord. You have talked about your precious wife a number of times, I know you miss her & your daughter terribly. Praying for you. Grammy from Texas

  10. A few years back, I discovered that a “sandwich” of a piece of hot cornbread sliced in half with mayo and a tomato right out of the garden is about the best thing I’ve ever eaten.

  11. my step mother ate green bean sandwiches, I did not find eat appealing enough to try. My mother ate peanut butter, onion, and mustard sandwiches..

  12. I don’t think there is anything any better than a good ole tomato sandwich with Duke’s mayonnaise and fresh bread.

    I enjoyed the video last night. I am so happy that you and Matt have got the corn planted. Silver Queen is our favorite also. So sweet of Matt to plant Corie some beans. Her smile was priceless, and I know Katie was happy with her Mother’s Day gift also. Y’all are so thoughtful.

  13. Veggie sandwiches is the best and not just for dinner but for supper (evening meal) as well. I have been known to use peanut butter, mayo/salad dressing, and even a thick plain yogurt as a ‘dressing.’ years ago when Cheese Whiz was ‘the thing to eat’ I would slather that on with thick slices of tomatoes. Delicious!! I like pretty much all kinds of veggies and can make a meal of them every day. It is breakfast time for me here Tipper, but you have made me hungry for a sandwich for breakfast! Have a wonderful day. Blessings & prayers to you all.

  14. Reading this and having watched your video last night about getting the corn planted in the big garden is making me hungry and it’s nowhere close to dinnertime yet! Yes, I can’t wait until my garden starts producing this year! I started mine from seed outside in my raised beds and planters this year and worried they wouldn’t do well, but they’ve come along fine and are at the right maturity level so they all seem good. I’ve got several varieties of cherry tomatoes or “Tommy Toes” growing (I think I’m most excited about the Black Cherry, Mountain Magic, and Italian Ice Hyrbids. I’ve got some Cherokee Purple plants that are doing great, too. Those have been a longstanding favorite at our house as well and I can’t wait to get a BLT on some good bread using those. And NOTHING beats fresh from the garden cucumbers! I do like them made into that spread with cream cheese on a sandwich, but I tend to just like peeling and slicing them and having them as the sole ingredient for a salad with a little ranch or Italian dressing! Here’s hoping for a bountiful harvest this year for all of us who are doing gardens big and small!

  15. I love veggie sandwiches, veggie pizzas, and meatless casseroles. It’s been a long time since I had an onion sandwich. I planted thirty heirloom tomato plants, possibly enough to satisfy my tomato and mayo cravings all summer.

  16. Now, ya’ll are talking my language. Vegetarian foods & summer fresh. Had first radish sandwich 15 years back. It was a woman I watched over. She claimed she was hungry for one. I asked, how? I mean, does one shred them or slice them? So many possibilities. She was content with thinly sliced. Of course, I HAD to taste test. Not bad. Loved the crunch factor. Then about same time, beet sandwich. Cook & dice with mayo…kinda like an egg salad. I wasn’t going around the table for a second helping.
    Lettuce & tomato on mayo. Cheese slice over tomato & onion broiled on an English muffin is a fav breakfast option. Good fresh food without a lot of work.

  17. A big juicy, eat it over your sink mater sandwich with mayo is absolutely my favorite in the summertime.

  18. Well, I have a curve ball on veggie sandwiches – peanut butter & tomato. I know. Many react with “Eck!” but how different is that from PB&banana? The moisture in the tomato takes the gluey out of the peanut butter. I’m thinking other readers have peanut butter & Something matches they like that nobody else ever thought of and on first acquaintance sound strange.

  19. My mom introduced all of us to tomato sandwiches love them with a little mayonnaise salt and pepper
    In my area of the country we have breakfast
    Lunch and supper unless you are eating after
    seven in the evening which is then dining and referred to as dinner
    I find it amusing the difference in words depending on the location in our country
    Some of My husband’s family is from Georgia I love to listen to them and the different words who needs to go to a foreign country right?

  20. When I was a child, I loved radish sandwiches. Mom would thinly slice round, red radishes & put them between 2 slices of buttered bread. Even better with a leaf of lettuce fresh from the garden.

  21. Did you mean mater sandwiches? Yeah I’ve scarfed up a few of those in my time. Herelately I’ll only make them with homemade bread. I do not hesitate to get maters from the store when they are out of season here. The trick is to choose the best correct ones, wash them in soap and water and leave them out on the counter long enough for them to naturally ripen. Red doesn’t necessarily mean ripe!

    1. A loaf of homemade bread made with cheddar cheese in it makes a great fresh tomato sandwich!

  22. I do enjoy a fresh from the garden lettuce, onion, tomato, cucumber, sandwich with mayonnaise and a little salt. If I’ve got bacon that’s a winner! Can’t wait till the garden is producing this summer!

  23. Gotta love those veggie sandwiches, but only eat tomato sandwiches in the summer when fresh
    ones are coming off the vine and into the house! My aunt used to talk about taking a biscuit
    and a salt shaker out to the garden and eating fresh tomatoes off the vine with the biscuit and a
    little salt on them. I used to eat lettuce sandwiches when growing up and they were mighty fine, too!

  24. I love vegetables, there are only a couple that I do not like–squash and sweet potatoes. My daddy grew a very big garden every year. My favorite thing was to get a huge tomato, and he grew huge ones, slice it onto two pieces of mayo covered bread and eat it. Sometimes I would go directly to the garden and pull out a green onion and eat it with my sandwich. A BLT is also a good sandwich with fresh tomatoes and lettuce on it. A vegetable pizza is very good. I enjoyed the video last evening about planting the corn and hearing about your gifts to Katie and Corie.

  25. Have always loved tomato sandwiches with mayo.. sometimes on toast..and learned to like cucumber sandwiches while touring the UK. The Brits do a lot of veggie sandwiches.

  26. I was raised on country southern cooking….and my Mama was a fine cook! Unfortunately, for the past several years, at least 12, meat doesn’t agree with my digestive system, even the organic meat. I am able to eat eggs and very limited dairy. All this to say, there is a world of veggie options! We garden, and yes Matt, Cherokee Purple are our favorite tomatoes with good ole Dukes Mayonnaise. Just would like to suggest a couple more veggie sandwich options. Guacamole and tomato on a slice of homemade bread with a slice of cantaloupe makes a delicious breakfast. This may not sound good, but oh my it is: roasted slices of sweet potato, roasted peppers and onion with your choice of spread, I like plain mayo or even pesto mayo. Yeah for vegetables!

  27. I know you love radishes. My mom did too and in addition to red radishes she also had hot white radishes that looked more like carrots only white.
    She loved butter and radish sandwiches. We were In awe every time she ate one as those radishes were HOT. Have you ever eaten a radish anbutter sandwich?

  28. Oh I heartily agree that fresh veggie sandwiches are the best. I cannot wait to have a fresh tomato sandwich with mayo. I also love to make a toast, adding a slice of cheese and a thick slice of fresh tomato—for a filling open-face summer treat. The other one I love is fresh sliced cucumber and mayo sandwiches with lots of black pepper sprinkled on top. I really enjoyed your video of planting the corn last evening. Your gifts for the girls was so sweet.

  29. Of course I too liked cucumber sandwiches and especially tomato sandwiches but only fresh from the garden. My brother in law will get a can of whole tomatoes and squeeze the juice out to make a tomato sandwich in late fall and winter when he wants that fresh flavour. Another favourite sandwich I have is cold potato and onion. Best on home made biscuits.

  30. I’m like you- I love a good veggie sandwich and the messier, the better! There’s a place near us that has a veggie sub, just full of tomatoes, peppers, onions, mushrooms and cucumbers. It’s dressed in a really good vinegar and oil but also has mayonnaise and cheese. They toast it so the cheese is gooey and it’s SO good. We seem to go there about once every couple of years. I believe that time may be before too much longer, now that I think about it.

    1. I’m a vegetarian, so I eat a lot of vegetables. Veggie sandwiches are so good, especially on fresh sourdough bread! Enjoyed last night’s video. I think I am just as excited as you and Matt about the big garden. Pap would be so proud of y’all. Matt is a sweet dad to give the girls something special for Mother’s Day. Take care and God bless you all❤️

  31. I’m counting down for the first tomato sandwich! Like Matt, I love the Cherokee purple. I just sprinkle with salt and add mayo.

  32. We never ate out very much either and since my wife’s death I don’t eat out at all. My favorite sandwich is a home grown tomato and DUKES mayonnaise on good fresh loaf/light bread. I do like BLT sandwiches. These are not veggies but I also like pineapple or banana sandwiches. I loved Jim’s expression, “go or run through like a dose of salts”, I have often said the same thing. I have small ping pong ball size tomatoes on my plants. I have already ate some tomato sandwiches this year made with tomatoes from Florida or Georgia bought at a produce stand, not exactly like home grown but a whole heap better than the ones bought in a grocery store. Tipper has done flung a craving on me for a tomato sandwich for my dinner today.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *