Tonight was Sandwich Night. We've been trying to have a sandwich night once a week for two reasons: 1) we have a couple of very hectic days each week thanx to my new job and the kids music and dance lessons, and 2) we like sandwiches. So far, we have done grilled cheese (with tomato soup) and vegetarian cold cut subs. Last week, Hallie asked if we could have finger sandwiches this week, and I agreed. It's funny ~ I used to make them all the time, and then, at some point, I just stopped. I don't know why. We all always liked them so much.
Now, usually, I would make three types of sandwiches: cucumber, watercress and egg salad. We talked about it, and it seemed most people in our family prefer the watercress and egg salad sandwiches. I actually love cucumber sandwiches, but I can't eat them (cream cheese) and I was in the mood for egg salad, anyway. So, we settled on watercress and egg salad.
I searched several stores, but was unable to turn up any watercress. We were just about to scrap the idea when something occurred to me: we have a TON of lettuce growing in our garden. It's true. We have 5 or 6 varieties (I'll admit, I am not even sure what they are. I think I bought two mixed batches of seedlings ~ one labelled "gourmet" and the other something like "spring mix") , and they are growing like wildfire down there. so, we agreed it would be a good idea to choose one of the darker, flatter varieties and use that in place of watercress. If you can find watercress, use it. It is so good. If not, try some interesting lettuce. It's worth a shot, anyway.
Here's what you'll need to make your own finger sandwiches:
Sliced bread, wheat and white (I use a whole grain white, but I am sure that doesn't matter)
Softened cream cheese or neufchatel
Watercress (or something similar)
Cucumbers, peeled and sliced in rounds
Egg salad
To make watercress sandwiches:Lay out six slices of white bread. Spread each slice with a layer of cream cheese (I like it fairly thick). On three of the slices, carefully cover the cream cheese with a single layer of watercress (or whatever you are using instead). Top each of those slices with one of the other three slices (that have just cream cheese). Cut off crusts.* Cut each sandwich into three strips, then cut each strip in half. Voila! Finger sandwiches.
To make cucumber sandwiches:
Follow the same procedure as you did for the watercress sandwiches, using cucumber slices instead of watercress. Try to keep the cucumbers in a single layer ~ do not overlap them. Cut as above.
To make egg salad sandwiches:
Use your favourite egg salad recipe. However, when preparing egg salad for finger sandwiches, use a fork to make sure the eggs are well mashed, with no excessively large pieces of egg white remaining. Also, since it is likely these sandwiches will be made ahead of time, do not make your egg salad very creamy. I used four eggs and just maybe a couple of tablespoons of mayonaise and a touch of mustard. You should season it however you like, but avoid making the salad itself too wet or you bread will get soggy. I also recommend adding dill to your egg salad. If you haven't tried this, you definitely should. I usually make my egg salad sandwiches on wheat. They look pretty and are a nice contrast to the watercress and cucumber on white. Assemble the sandwiches and cut as above.
* I find it is easiest to cut the sandwiches neatly with a good bread knife. Chilling them a bit before cutting can help, too, and it is a good idea to wipe the knife blade after each cut.
Now, you need some tiny little accompaniments. I recommend baby carrots, tiny pickles, small fruits like kumquats, grapes, cherry tomatoes, etc. Today, I was lucky enough to find a bag of mixed miniature potatoes (you know the "gourmet variety" pack that includes red and blue potatoes, as well as the usual type) at the 99-cents store, of all places.
BTW, while we are on the subject:
1 dozen eggs - 99-cents store
Whole grain white bread - 99-cents store
Wheat bread - 99-cents store
Neufchatel - 99-cents store
Lettuce - my backyard
So, yeah, this was a darned cheap meal for the five of us. And we have leftovers for lunches, as well as most of two loaves of bread, some cream cheese and about half a dozen eggs, so I would say we made out like bandits.
Anyway...I was talking about potatoes. I had picked up these potatoes (remember where I got them?), and they were tiny, so I thought they would go nicely with our lovely little sandwiches.
Here's what I did:
Scrub potatoes, cutting larger ones in half.
Heat a large skillet (with a lid) over low heat. Add 1-2 TBS olive oil. When oil is hot, add rinsed potatoes and sprinkle lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir to coat, then cover with the lid. Let the potatoes cook while you peel and roughly chop 2-3 cloves of garlic. Add the garlic to the potatoes and sprinkle liberally with dill (fresh or dried). Stir again to coat the potatoes with the seasonings. Cover and cook over low heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir, and add about 1/4 cup water if the potatoes are starting to stick to the pan. Replace cover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally and adding just a bit of water as necessary to keep potatoes from sticking, until potatoes are done. Make sure to cook off any residual water at the end by removing the lid and cooking until water has evaporated. Transfer to a serving dish. If desired, toss with a touch of honey mustard and/or balsamic vinegar (I didn't this time, but it sure is good that way).There you have it. Tiny dinner. Because tiny food is better.
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