Tea Sandwiches

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            FOOD FUNNY
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I wonder if "corny" has the same meaning in South Africa as it does
here in the USA. Thanks to Rosemary Zwick of you know where for this
one:

Q: What do you get when you cross a turkey with a banjo?

A: A turkey that can pluck himself!

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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A couple of months ago I put together a week of recipes for a proper
afternoon tea, but I shelved the menu for some reason. Then my
favorite food magazine featured a story on this fading English
tradition in their current edition, and I took that as a sign that my
readers would enjoy learning about this most noble of British customs.
Here is the menu for our Proper Afternoon Tea:

Monday's "Extra"
Tea Sandwiches

Tuesday's "Extra"
Scones

Wednesday's "Extra"
Mock Devonshire Cream and Strawberry Jam

Thursday's "Extra"
Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread

Friday's "Extra"
A Proper Cuppa

No proper afternoon tea would be complete without a small assortment
of tea sandwiches. I offer several recipes here, but even the most
elaborate tea would be complete with just two or three kinds of
sandwiches. For best results use thinly sliced white bread with a
firm texture, and for an added note of authenticity use the high-fat
"European-style" butter that is widely available.

Tea Sandwiches

Cucumber Sandwiches

1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
2 Tbs (30 ml) malt or cider vinegar
1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt
Thinly sliced bread
Butter

Toss the sliced cucumber with the vinegar and salt and let sit in a
colander at room temperature for 30 minutes. For each sandwich,
spread the butter on one side of two pieces of bread. Pat the
cucumber slices dry with paper towels and place a layer or two on one
of the slices of bread. Top with the other slice of bread and trim
off the crusts. Cut diagonally into four triangles.

Chicken Sandwiches

Thinly sliced bread
Butter
Thinly sliced cooked chicken breast (use leftover
chicken if you have any)

For each sandwich, spread the butter on one side of two pieces of
bread. Place a layer of chicken on one of the slices of bread. Top
with the other slice of bread and trim off the crusts. Cut diagonally
into four triangles.

Roast Beef Sandwiches

Thinly sliced bread
Butter
Thinly sliced cold roast beef (use leftover beef if
you have any)

For each sandwich, spread the butter on one side of two pieces of
bread. Place a layer of roast beef on one of the slices of bread.
Top with the other slice of bread and trim off the crusts. Cut
diagonally into four triangles.

Watercress Sandwiches

Thinly sliced bread
Butter
Coarsely chopped watercress
Finely chopped parsley

For each sandwich, spread the butter on one side of two pieces of
bread. Place a layer of watercress and parsley on one of the slices
of bread. Top with the other slice of bread and trim off the crusts.
Cut diagonally into four triangles.

Chutney and Cheese Sandwiches

Prepared mango chutney, chopped
Grated cheddar cheese (preferably white cheddar)
Thinly sliced bread
Butter

Combine equal amounts of the chutney and cheese, stirring to make a
coarse paste. For each sandwich, spread the butter on one side of two
pieces of bread. Spread some of the chutney and cheese mixture on one
of the slices of bread. Top with the other slice of bread and trim
off the crusts. Cut diagonally into four triangles.

Smoked Salmon Sandwiches

Thinly sliced bread
Butter
Thinly sliced smoked salmon
Chopped fresh dill
Chopped capers (optional)

For each sandwich, spread the butter on one side of two pieces of
bread. Place a layer of salmon, a sprinkle of fresh dill, and
optional capers on one of the slices of bread. Top with the other
slice of bread and trim off the crusts. Cut diagonally into four
triangles.
Received on Mon May 16 09:34:22 2005