YumSugar

'Wich of the Week: Benedictine Cheese Tea Sandwiches

YumSugar — Wed, 07 May 2008 13:15:02 -0700

I love the tiny sandwiches, scones, and petit fours served at afternoon tea, but rarely do I make dainty crustless sandwiches at home. So for today's 'Wich of the Week, I used the Kentucky Derby as an excuse to make some teatime treats. These ladylike sandwiches are filled with Benedictine cheese, a creamy cucumber-and-scallion spread that's native to Louisville and often served on Derby Day.

The Benedictine is a twist on the usual cucumber and cream cheese sandwich, which is by far one of my favorite teatime combos. These sandwiches benefit from the added kick of scallions; in fact, they were so flavorful that no one even complained about the low-fat cream cheese. The only somewhat odd ingredient is green food coloring, but since that's the tradition, I went with it, and it gave the spread a nice pastel hue. To see how I made them, including a step-by-step photo gallery, read more.

Benedictine Cheese Sandwiches
Adapted From Roadfood Sandwiches

Ingredients

1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, grated, and drained of moisture
1 bunch scallions, white parts plus two inches of green parts, finely chopped
8 oz. cream cheese, softened (I used low-fat cream cheese)
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1-2 drops green food coloring
8 slices white bread, crusts removed
3 red leaf lettuce leaves

Directions

Peel the cucumber, slice it in half lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Using a microplane grater, grate the cucumber into a colander and drain the moisture off. Transfer cucumber to a bowl.

Finely chop the scallions and add them to bowl with the cucumber.
In the bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, and food coloring and mix thoroughly.

To make each sandwich, spread a thin but significant layer of the cheese spread onto each slice, spreading just almost to the edges of the bread.
Place a single layer of lettuce atop one of the slices, then press the two pieces of bread together so that the lettuce is between the two layers of cheese.
Cut diagonally into four triangles and serve.

Print recipe with images | without images

View 15 Photos ›

Benedictine Cheese Sandwiches

YumSugar — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:24:11 -0700

View Slideshow ›

All the News That's Fit to Eat - May 16

YumSugar — Wed, 16 May 2007 11:59:32 -0700

Have you ever heard of kaiseki? Something tells me this 500-year-old traditional Japanese menu is going to be the next big thing in high-cuisine. - LA Times
Here we go again with the labeling thing: if you think truffle oil is made out of truffles, you might want to think again. Plus, with all the food scares recently, it makes you wonder, who's watching what we eat? - New York Times

As a generation of folks used to fine dining retire, senior living centers must step up the quality of their cuisine. - The Oregonian
On the other end of the age spectrum, foodie parents are feeding their little ones gourmet baby food. - Houston Chronicle
Discover which wines go with what's sizzling on the grill. - Sacramento Bee
Love Pizza? Love Beer? How about a pizza flavored beer? - CBS2 Chicago

Here in San Francisco, there's a new pie shop in town. Mission Pies supports a local farm that supplies ingredients and hire local teens as servers. - San Francisco Chronicle
If you're lucky enough to be in Seattle this weekend, be sure to head down to the annual Seattle Cheese Festival. You can eat lots of cheese and see Mother Noëlla Marcellino - a Benedictine cheese-making nun. And if you go, pick me up some Beecher's flagship cheese, okay? - Seattle Times