Tea Sandwiches and Secret Stitching

"Hors D'oeuvre; a ham sandwich cut into forty pieces." - Jack Benny

Normally I would be writing a knitting update post by this time. However, the handful of knitting projects that I currently have in progress are all top secret. So, consider this my knitting update: the needles n' yarn bag has gone under cover, and individual posts on the projects will be forthcoming as things get finished.

And now, I will write about my favorite tea sandwich recipes.

photo by A.Ealey

Paris has been a major theme for me this month - it keeps coming up from different angles. I visited there several years ago in May, and it really is the best time of year to go. The above photo is one I took of a sidewalk flower shop on the Avenue de Suffren.One of the things I loved most about Paris was the sidewalk cafes. They really are the best places to spend an entire day - wait for beautiful weather, take a book, knitting, journal or some combination of all three and you'll be hooked.

While none of these recipes are French in origin, they are excellent to make for a tea party, or to nibble while sitting outside on your patio or in your garden with a pot of tea.

Egg Salad and Asparagus

• Egg salad (a bland, straightforward recipe is best)
• Asparagus, cut, washed, and steamed
• Pumpernickel bread
• Celery salt
• butter

Make your favorite type of egg salad. Toast the desired number of slices of bread, and spread with butter. Spread with egg salad, then sprinkle with celery salt (not too much). Cut the asparagus into 2 inch long pieces, then slice each piece in half. Lay four slices of asparagus on each piece of bread, and cut in half. Repeat for as many as you need (1 piece of bread makes two sandwiches).

Citrus Turkey

• 1 lbs. cooked turkey, sliced thin
• French baguette
• mayonnaise
• 1 orange
• 1 lemon
• 1 can of either pineapple tidbits or mandarin orange segments

 Slice the baguette width-wise into ovals about 1 inch thick. In a small bowl, mix about 1 cup of mayonnaise (I recommend Hellmann's) with 1 teaspoon each of lemon and orange zest, plus 1 tablespoon each of orange and lemon juices. Stir until combined, and add more juice as needed to taste.
Spread each slice of bread with a thin layer of the mayonnaise mixture. Top with a piece or two of turkey, then spoon a dollop of the mayo on top. Place either 1 mandarin orange segment, or two pineapple tidbits in the mayo. Repeat for as many as needed.

Deviled Ham and Cheese Double Decker

• Thin-sliced bread (I recommend Pepperidge Farm's Very Thin brand)
• 1-3 cans of deviled ham (depending on how many sandwiches you need)
• Honey mustard (either your favorite brand, or make some with honey and French's mustard)
• Kraft Olde English cheese spread

Mix the deviled ham and honey mustard in a bowl for as much as needed. Take three pieces of bread. On one piece, spread a thin-to-medium layer of the cheese. Lay another piece of bread on top. Spread a thin-to-medium layer of the deviled ham on top of this cheese sandwich, and top with a third piece of bread. Cut the double-decker sandwich in half. Repeat for as many as needed.

Bon Appetit!