Now is the time of year to make our favorite fresh tomato sandwich: open faced with tomatoes, bacon and cheese. But you don’t have to wait for the big main crop tomatoes to ripen (our first one will come in tomorrow). Instead, you will find that smaller tomatoes have a richer flavor.

Our smaller tomatoes this year include Fourth of July, which always comes in first (July 17 this year), Garden Gem (from Prof Harry Klee’s breeding lab in Florida), Indigo Rose, Mountain Magic, Garden Treasure and one early plum variety: Gladiator.

The main trick to making these sandwiches is to put the bacon over the tomatoes, but under the cheese, so it doesn’t burn when put under the broiler.

• 6 slices bacon
• 4 sliced bread
• Butter
• Sliced tomatoes
• Sliced cheddar ( we use Cabot)

1. Fry the bacon slices until rather crisp
2. Toast the bread and butter it.
3. Arrange the sliced tomatoes on each piece of toast
4. Put 3 half slices of bacon over the tomatoes.
5. Put the cheese slices over the bacon

Broil the sandwiches for 2-4 minutes, until the cheese begins to melt.

Serve at once.

• Recipes