Crave Wednesday: Heirloom Tomato, Arugula, and Bacon Sandwiches

Coming from San Diego, we always enter Yosemite through the South entrance.  Which happens to afford the most beautiful view in the park.  "Tunnel view,"  so called because it opens up after you exit the tunnel into the valley, has an unparalleled view of the meadows, woods, and mountains, including Half-dome, the unofficial mascot of the park.

Filling our mornings with the Sugar Pine railroad means it's usually naptime during the drive into the park.  Last visit, Thatkid slept right through Tunnel view, even when we stopped and took pictures.  This year I feared the same would happen, except Thatkid woke up just as we exited the tunnel, and Thatbaby woke up as soon as the car parked.

Thatkid has rediscovered his camera, and spent the trip memorializing it himself.

Our days in Yosemite were very similar, we'd wake and go to breakfast, then head out for the morning for a hike.

Then we'd grab lunch, head back to the room for nap, and spend the afternoons at the pool before getting ready for dinner.

Thatboy and I joked on our first day that you can't be picky about food when you're camping.  And then we continued to complain to each other about food the entire trip.  We're spoiled.  At least we know it right?  Admitting it is half the battle!  Normally when we camp I plan meals, so we eat fairly well.  And when we go hiking at home, I make incredible sandwiches to bring with us.

Thatboy isn't a huge fan of tomatoes, the one exception is heirloom tomatoes, which he loves.  So if I'm making sandwiches, I always have to make sure we have heirlooms lying about.  The lucky thing about it being the end of summer is that heirloom tomatoes are plentiful and cheap.  And amazingly delicious.  Enough so that they can easily become the star of a sandwich - like this BLT I packed for our lunches last week.  I know, it's cheating because the closest we came to hiking last week was the hike from our cars to our offices, but like I said, we eat much better at home than we did in Yosemite.

Heirloom Tomato, Arugula, and Bacon Sandwiches (From Cooking Light)

2 Tbsp light mayonnaise

1 Tbsp minced shallots

2 tsps Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp minced fresh sage

8 slices sourdough bread, toasted

3 medium heirloom tomatoes, each cut into 4 slices

8 center-cut bacon slices, cooked

1 cup arugula

1. Combine mayonnaise, shallots, mustard, and sage in a bowl.
2. Spread mayonnaise mixture on each toast slice.
3. Top four the toast slices with 3 tomato slices, 2 bacon slices, and 1/4 cup of arugula.
4. Top with remaining 4 toast slices.