Hello! It’s a gray, drizzly day here at Croix Manor, so before I head into the writing room, I’m making myself a big pot of tea. Since I have some fresh basil on hand, I’m also putting together a plate of the tea sandwiches Jane dreamed up in SLIVERING CURSE. It’s a recipe I shared with the Readers Brigade awhile back. If you’re a tea sandwich fan or a sandwich fan of any stripe, you might like to give it a try.
Enjoy!
Jane’s Delightful Cucumber and Basil Tea Sandwiches
- 4 slices sandwich bread
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 12 cucumber rounds, thinly sliced
- 5 fresh basil leaves, rolled together and sliced into thin ribbons
- Salt, to taste
To make: Slather the butter over two slices of bread. Divide the basil ribbons between the two sandwiches, and spread them evenly over the butter. Arrange six cucumber rounds over the basil in overlapping columns of three for each slice. Sprinkle a small pinch of salt over the cucumbers and top with the remaining slices of bread.
To serve: Cut away the crusts if you want to be fancy and slice each sandwich into two rectangles or two triangles. Yields four lovely tea sandwiches perfect for teatime (perhaps even Queen Victoria’s table?).
If you have time: Combine the butter, basil, and salt an hour or more in advance to allow the flavors to mingle. Be cautious about leaving the butter at room temperature for too long, however. Keep it cool as needed for food safety.
Enjoy!
