17 Summer Mornings at Grandma’s: A Story and Recipe about Grandma’s BLT

I was raised in a single-family household with a mother who worked long, hard hours. My circumstances meant that my sister and I spent most of our childhood time after school and 4in the summer with our grandma. She lives in a cozy ranch with a large garden near the Deep River in Lake Station, Indiana with my grandpa. I have many fond memories in that house. During that time, our grandma always seemed to be cooking and accordingly, my sister and I would spend much of our time with her in the kitchen.

My grandma is the person I admire most as she always puts others before herself. Also, she grew up having to be scrappy and this has translated into her cooking style; affordable yet filling and comforting. With this, as soon as the recipe assignment was announced, I knew I had to interview her. When asking my grandma about our cooking memories, she explained how she especially enjoyed it when we made BLT sandwiches.

Smells and nostalgia are closely connected yet often overlooked (Waskul, 2009). Accordingly, while interviewing her, we reminisced about a typical summer morning at my grandma’s during my youth, where the day would begin with the smell of bacon wafting through the entire house. On one such morning in mid August, I wandered in, drawn by the aroma, and there she was, my grandma, who had been up since 4 am with a smile on her face as she prepared breakfast. The kitchen was her happy place and with cooking she translated her love.

“Who wants to toast the bread!” she would commonly call to my sister and I, her hands busy slicing tomatoes or finishing up the bacon. I hurried over, eager to learn the secrets behind her famous BLT. She had made this sandwich countless times, yet each time it felt like a special occasion. The ingredients were simple: crispy bacon, fresh lettuce, juicy tomatoes, mayo, and toasted bread (whichever was on sale). But I knew there was something that made her BLT unlike any other.

As I helped her wash the lettuce, I asked, “Grandma, what’s the secret to your BLT?” She chuckled softly, her eyes twinkling with the patience necessary to humor a middle school child. “It’s all about the love you put into it and the freshest ingredients you can afford.” She then emphasized it wouldn’t taste as good if we didn’t make it together (Scheuer, 2024).

With that, she reminded me that that day’s tomatoes and lettuce came from her very own backyard garden. Complementing cooking, gardening was another one of my grandma’s signature pastimes. Much as the women interviewees in Magulick’s essay about southern Indiana foodways (Magulick, 2014), my grandmother’s cooking is drawn to seasonal, affordable, and readily available ingredients. Similar to many of the interviewed ladies, she grew up having to be self-sufficient and in order to lower costs her family always maintained a garden. She has kept up her familiar lifestyle and to this day prioritizes fresh ingredients by growing a variety of fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

Back in the kitchen, my sister, grandma, and I assembled the sandwich together. She taught me how to layer the ingredients just right: crispy bacon first, followed by the lettuce, then the slices of tomato, and finally, mayo on the toasted bread. We did not season the sandwiches during assembly but there was always salt and pepper on the table for anyone who wanted it.

As we sat down to enjoy our creation, I took my first bite. The flavors exploded in my mouth—the salty crunch of the bacon, the freshness of the lettuce, and the juiciness of the tomatoes, all coming together in perfect harmony. It was more than just a sandwich; it was a taste of summer, of love, and of the countless mornings spent in that cozy kitchen.

Overall, years later, as I prepare my own BLTs, I find myself reminiscing about those summer days. I may not have my grandma’s exact touch, but I carry her lessons with me. I seek out fresh ingredients (prioritizing my own home garden), I take my time, and most importantly, I put love into every meal I make.

BLT Sandwich recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 package of bacon
• 1-3 tomatoes
• 1 head of lettuce
• Mayonnaise
• Loaf of Bread (of your choice)

This recipe makes 3-4 sandwiches depending on the way you assemble the sandwich

How to Prepare

Begin by frying the bacon on the stove. Once at your desired crispy level, line a plate with a paper towel and place the cooked bacon on the towel (to soak up some of the grease). Take out a toaster and begin toasting your bread (to your desired toast level). While bacon is resting and toast is in the toaster, strip the lettuce and cut the tomato into thick slices. Once toast is ready, begin assembling the sandwich. Get two pieces of the toast and place 3-5 strips of bacon on one half. On Top of the bacon put the lettuce and tomato (approximately one thick slice). Lastly, spread mayo on the remaining half of toast and combine the two halves of toast. Cut the sandwich into halves or fourths and enjoy.

References

Magoulick, M. (2014). Foodways of Southern Indiana in the Early 20th Century. Digest: A Journal of Foodways and Culture, 2(2).

Scheuer, Francis. Interview by Mia Terek. Bloomington, Indiana, October 28, 2024.

Waskul, D. D., Vannini, P., & Wilson, J. (2009). The aroma of recollection: Olfaction, nostalgia, and the shaping of the sensuous self. The Senses and Society, 4(1), 5-22.