There are a few infallible ways to kick off the first day of summer. You can jump in a swimming pool. You can drive to the beach. You go for a sunset hike. As for me? I’m standing over my kitchen sink eating a tomato sandwich.

The kitchen sink is an important part of the recipe. Let me explain.

There is nothing from the garden that says summer to me more than the tomato. It is sweet, tender, and, just like summer, painfully fleeting. I leave tomatoes on my kitchen windowsill, patiently waiting for them to hit peak ripeness. From the moment they do, the clock is ticking. Before long, they’ll start to turn too soft, mealy and moldy.

But in that brief glorious window of ripeness, just like the brief glorious window of summer, there is no better way to honor the summer tomato than the tomato sandwich.

This may be the only sandwich recipe where cheap white bread produces the best results. The crust and texture of fancy sourdough loaf or the chewiness of a baguette are simply an unwelcome distraction from the main event of the tomato. Soft, fluffy bland white bread is the right vehicle to focus your attention on the tomato.

(MORE: On The French Riviera, Gazpacho Tastes Like Summer)

The only potential problem caused by cheap white bread is that, if let to sit for too long, it will get soggy and begin to disintegrate. Which is where the kitchen sink comes in.

This is a sandwich made to eat immediately. As soon as you put that top slice of bread on it, stand over the kitchen sink and start eating. The sink will catch the juicy mess that drips down. There’s no better way to spend the first day of summer.

Here’s a hint: If your tomatoes aren’t perfectly ripe, slice them, sprinkle a little salt, and let them rest for ten minutes or so. That will draw out a little moisture and soften the texture, which makes for a much better bite.

First Day Of Summer Tomato Sandwich

Ingredients

1 medium to large ripe tomato

2 slices white bread, cheap and soft

2 tablespoons Duke’s mayonnaise

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Slice tomato in ¼ slices and salt and pepper to taste. Spread a generous amount of mayonnaise on the bread, covering edge to edge. Stack tomato slices in an even layer on bread and eat immediately over the sink.

Weather.com lead editor Jenn Jordan explores how weather and climate weave through our daily lives, shape our routines and leave lasting impacts on our communities.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM

• Make Mint Juleps With This Simple Syrup
• Feeling Spicy? Make This Thai Chili Oil
• Make This Etouffee With Leftover Boiled Crawfish