Martha’s Open-faced Grilled Tomato Sandwiches

Excerpt from Life of Fire, Pat Martin

Makes 2 open-faced sandwiches

1 large heirloom tomato (use a meaty, sweet variety, like Cherokee Purple or Brandywine)
2 tablespoons hemp hearts or pumpkin seeds
2 teaspoons olive oil 
Fleur de sel or other flaky sea salt
2 thick slices sourdough or country white bread
Mayonnaise (Duke’s brand strongly preferred), to taste

Cut the tomato into ¾-inch-thick slices. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 30 minutes. 

In a small skillet, heat the hemp hearts over medium heat, tossing constantly, until the hearts start to turn brown and smell nutty, 2 to 3 minutes, but trust your eyes and nose more than a timer. Remove from the heat and toss the hearts for another 30 seconds, then transfer to a bowl and set aside. 

Prepare a medium-high grill, using a hand-test. Clean and oil the grill grates well. 

Brush both sides of each tomato slice with the olive oil and season with fleur de sel. Grill the tomatoes until lightly charred on one side, about 3 minutes, then flip and grill until the other side is lightly charred about 3 minutes longer. Meanwhile, brush both sides of the bread with mayonnaise and grill until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes per side.