Tomato sandwiches are one of summer’s greatest pleasures

Sinking my teeth into ripe homegrown tomatoes is something I’m looking forward to over the next month or two. A homegrown tomato is the absolute best.

For nearly four decades, Michelle, my best friend since third grade, has lived in Arizona. As we were chatting recently, she complained that she couldn’t get good-tasting tomatoes “like you get in Michigan.” She finished her lament with: “I am so jealous.”

Indeed. At my house, we’ve just begun picking the big tomatoes off the vine, but the excitement over having homegrown tomatoes — and making tomato sandwiches — is growing.

You can gussy up a tomato sandwich any way you like. You can make it a BLT or add slices of avocado, sweet onion or cheese.

But simple is often best way to go, and it doesn’t get any simpler than fresh-sliced tomatoes sprinkled with kosher salt and black pepper and layered between two slices of bread slathered with mayo.

● Tomatoes: Any firm, ripe variety that’s fresh from the garden or farmers market will do. Oddly shaped heirloom tomatoes are a great choice.