Tomatoes have always been my favorite vegetable, and I love vegetables more than the average human. Tomato season, for me, rivals holiday season. And I don’t even like summer.

Before I had my wisdom teeth ripped from my skull last week, I made a point of taking a trip to the farmer’s market to find the perfect tomatoes for my perfect tomato sandwich. These are they.

I also found this giant bunch of basil for $1.25 – which is amazing because those little boxes of sad basil at the supermarket are what, three bucks each?

Tomatoes come in so many pretty colors and shapes! This one is called a pineapple tomato, and it’s a little citrusy.

Tomatoes should not be eaten without salt.

You know what I mean?

For my perfect tomato sandwich, I made basil aioli. It was delicious, but not mandatory. Here’s a good recipe if you want to try your hand.

When you make your tomato sandwich you can make it with basil aioli if you want, or you can make a BLT, or you can use Hellmans, or even cream cheese. Just promise me you’ll keep it simple. This is about tomatoes.

This squirrel knew I was up to something delicious.

Toast your bread on a baking sheet under the broiler so it’s crispy on one side and soft on the other, and put your fillings on the toasted sides. This way you get the crisp texture of toasted bread without destroying the roof of your mouth.

Salt and pepper.

Revel briefly.

Assemble.

Consume.

Save a bite for Murdock if he’s very very good.

Happy tomato season. Savor it while it lasts!