Before Craig LeHoullier earned the nickname “North Carolina Tomato Man,” he was a pharmaceutical chemist with a backyard full of dreams.

“I spent 25 years working in an environment that really wasn’t my cup of tea,” he said of his career in drug research. “I don’t like to boss people. I don’t like to be bossed. I’ve always been kind of an independent, free spirit.”

Even so, he stayed the course. With a Ph.D. in chemistry from Dartmouth, Craig rubbed elbows with “Nobel Prize wannabes” for more than two decades. All the while, in the soil and sunshine at home, he was cultivating something far more satisfying: tomatoes.

He planted his first garden in 1981 and quickly bored with conventional varieties. “The whole red tomato, green pepper thing just didn’t do it for me.”

Craig began trading seeds via the Seed Savers Exchange and discovered the big wide world of heirloom tomatoes, from sunny yellow ones with crimson swirls to lime green ones with dark green shoulders. Many were rare varieties passed down through generations. Others, like Lucky Cross, were bee-assisted garden accidents that Craig spent years refining. Over four decades, he’s grown, and in some cases, originated more than 4,000 types of tomatoes.

Along the way, he helped rescue the now-famous Cherokee Purple from obscurity and penned the book “Epic Tomatoes,” a cult favorite among home gardeners. 

These days, he lives in Hendersonville, North Carolina, where his backyard plot is bursting with color every summer, and when the tomatoes start rolling in, Craig puts them on sandwiches — just not the kind you might expect.

“I’m a weirdo,” he laughed. “I don’t like mayonnaise, and I don’t care for white bread, either.”

Instead, Craig opts for crusty sourdough, sharp cheddar cheese, and thick slices of whatever heirloom is peaking that day. “I’m a bit of a food snob,” he admitted.

Below are four Craig-approved tomato sandwiches to try this summer, each one starring an heirloom from his garden. You can find many of them at your local farmer’s market, cooperative grocery, or other spot that sells heavenly heirloom tomatoes.

Featuring: Lucky Cross

Sweet, juicy, and streaked with red swirls, Lucky Cross is the golden child of Craig’s garden.

“The bees made the [Golden Cross], and it took me eight years to work on,” he said. “It’s the only tomato of that color that’s absolutely delicious.”

This sandwich skips the swine (because why not spare some animal suffering when we can) but still brings the sizzle. To start, toast two slices of hearty multigrain bread, then pile on thick slabs of Lucky Cross tomatoes, crunchy butter lettuce, and smoky plant-based bacon. We like MyBacon, which crisps like the real deal and tastes remarkably similar. A swipe of roasted garlic mayo adds creaminess, while pickled shallots cut through the richness. 

Featuring: Lillian’s Yellow Heirloom

Lillian’s Yellow is soft-spoken but unforgettable, like a love letter folded into your lunchbox.

“It’s pale yellow, hardly any seeds, almost pure meat,” said Craig, who received the seeds from a fellow in New York, traced them to a Tennessee gardener named Lillian Bruce, and gave the variety its now-famous name. “It’s one of the top three tomatoes I’ve ever eaten.”

For The Gold Standard, start with a toasted brioche roll. Smear on whipped goat cheese, spoon over a little apricot jam (preferably homemade), and nestle in thick slices of Lillian’s Yellow. Add microgreens for crunch. Delicate but decadent, this sandwich is perfect for picnics. 

Featuring: Cherokee Purple

The Cherokee Purple isn’t winning any beauty contests. After all, Craig joked, “it looks like a bruised leg.” But what this ‘mater lacks in looks, it makes up for in taste.

“The flavor is perfectly balanced between tart and sweet with good intensity,” said Craig, who helped rescue the heirloom from obscurity in 1990. “It’s kind of the everything tomato.”

For a simple Southern-style breakfast, split a warm buttermilk biscuit and top it with a fried egg, a thick slice of Cherokee Purple, and a generous smear of jalapeño pepper jelly. Enjoy it barefoot on the front porch with meemaw.

Featuring: Cherokee Chocolate

If the Cherokee Purple is smoky, the Cherokee Chocolate is downright smoldering. A dusky mutation that appeared in Craig’s garden in 1995, this mahogany-hued tomato packs rich, earthy flavor with just the right balance of sweetness and acidity.

“It has all the beauty and flavor of Cherokee Purple,” Craig said, “but with this deep, almost brick-red color.”

For a taste of Tuscany by way of Tennessee, tuck fried eggplant rounds, fresh mozzarella, and generous slices of Cherokee Chocolate into a toasted ciabatta roll. Add sun-dried tomato pesto, a smear of black olive tapenade, and some arugula for bite.

It’s smoky, savory, and just complex enough to impress your foodie friends. (Bonus points if you serve it with merlot and a mountain view.)