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BL … P ?
Can you see it? Barely peeking out from from underneath bread and slathered in aioli is a thin slice of peach.
That’s right. Peach.
You are now officially introduced to the BLP, a bacon, lettuce, and peach summer sammie from Chayil Johnson at Community Matters Cafe in Charlotte, NC.
“It was great,” says Jesse Leadbetter of Freshlist, who supplied Barbee Farms peaches to the restaurant last week. “The peaches were thinly sliced so it wasn’t so sweet, and then with some bacon and an aioli, it was all around fantastic.”
Jesse and Chayil have a running joke about tomatoes, which prompted this riff. And I learned about this sandwich disruptor from Jesse because I’ve followed his infrequent posts ever since interviewing him for a podcast episode in 2022.
So I’ll admit this pinged me. I am deep in my tomato sandwich season. And I am a seasoned veteran, so I’ve heard debates on the bread, on the mayo, even done a deep dive on bacon. I have feelings. But this? This I didn’t see coming.
What do you think? Would you eat a BLP? Should I? Let me know in the comments or with a reply!
Updates
Podcasts
Note: All links below are for Apple Podcasts, but you can find The Southern Fork on almost any platform that streams audio, from YouTube to Spotify and many places in between.
While the podcast is in pre-production for season 11, check out these episodes you might have missed from the archive of more than 380 interviews:
I’m headed back to Texas soon, a state I love recording and eating in. One of my favorite interviews to date there has been Chef Elizabeth Johnson of Pharm Table in San Antonio. As a native San Antonian, Elizabeth has come to appreciate and honor the region’s heritage foods and learned to combine her own unique knowledge with the tastes of her home. I loved every minute recording in her beautiful and eclectic home.
One of the ingredients for the “best thing I cooked” below is Benton’s Bacon. I recorded an episode with founder Allan Benton back in 2018, and although you’ll have to forgive the crude sound engineering from that period, his big heart and humble yet passionate drive for excellence of craft shines through.
Two Charleston area signings coming up:
I’ll be celebrating a Black Magic Woman Birthday Book Signing Friday, July 17, from 6-7:30 p.m. at Jack of Cups on Folly Beach, SC. (How’s that for alliteration?) This beach spot has one of the best espresso martini riffs in the Charleston area —aptly named Black Magic Woman and included in South Carolina Cocktails — so they’ll be featuring it, and I’ll be sipping and signing books to celebrate my birthday!
And on Thursday, July 23, 5:30-7:30, Edmund’s Original and I will be celebrating the Red Wedding, their iconic cocktail also included in the book and on their menu since day 1 at this restaurant.
Other published media I like right now: Have you noticed that matchbooks are making a restaurant comeback? This Bloomberg article details the reasons.
On the social media side, but still good stuff nonetheless, I almost always chuckle when I scroll by the Brooklyn Coffee Shop Instagram Account. It’s one of the best produced series in the emerging sector of Instagram shows, a phrase I never saw coming but am nevertheless watching!
Cooking soundtrack album: channel ORANGE, Frank Ocean
Best thing I cooked this month: Herby Fried Corn. This is now my favorite way to use fresh corn in the summer, and it was just as good cold and leftover as it was warm the first night. I shared the recipe here for subscribers, so if you missed it the first time or want to subscribe now, enjoy!
Until next time,
Steph