Cucumber Sandwich & Spicy Green Aioli

Jessica — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:42:42 +0000

Firstly, allow me to apologize for the week-long silence. In addition to a more hectic than usual schedule and trip to the Lakes in Wisconsin, Besotted itself also went through a not-so-minor meltdown, and, unfortunately, in addition to cook, dish-washer, and writer, I am also the tireless IT department. Enough of the gripes… onto the wonderful lunch for our triple-H (hot, hazy & humid weather) ….

I love cucumber sandwiches, as I’ve stated before, but I do have a couple small gripes with them. The first is the daintiness and the second is that, in their original carnation, they were intended as a polite snack; whereas, I’d like to re-fit them slightly for lunchtime consumption.

My first attempt at un-civilizing the cucumber sandwich was a tangy blend of cream cheese, green onions, cucumbers, and spices smushed between an everything bagel. This was in the Spring time when running along the Charles didn’t feel quite so much like crossing the River Styx into Hades, temperatures were cooler, and appetites more robust.

For my summer-time version, I wanted something even tangier, but lighter in texture that took ample advantage of the summer produce now available. I substituted the heavy bagel for a lighter French Pullman loaf and tossed in a couple red-ripe tomatoes, to give the sandwich heft. But, my favorite re-jigging is with the spread. I made a very spicy (by cucumber sandwich standards, anyway) green aioli that adds a tangy flavor and texture to this sandwich.

I would, and did, add a bit more heft to this lunch with a few slices of great, sharp cheddar. Any other cheese or bit of meat that you have lying around would also make a nice addition, but remember, the sandwich is the focal point, so keep the addition small and in the background.

As a side note, I have become a HUGE fan of the hybrid concoction of aioli and chopped herbs, which can consist of any number of herbs, spices, onions, and greens blended with olive oil, an acid, and an egg or mayonnaise. I feel like the hybrid does so much more for salads and sandwiches and as a sauce than either a traditional aioli or salad dressing, and it’s incredibly versatile. I’ve used the same recipe as a salad dressing, sandwich spread, dip, and sauce. Just a little food for thought…

Click here for a printable version of the recipe

Cucumber Sandwich, Serves 4

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Total Time: 15 Minutes

Ingredients:

For the Sandwich:

1 French Pullman Loaf, sliced

2 Tomatoes, sliced into ½ inch slices

4 Pickling Cucumbers or 2 English Cucumbers, sliced into ½ inch slices

For the Green Aioli:

1-2 Leeks

4 Cloves Garlic

1 Shallot

½ Lemon, Juiced

5 Tbls. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

½ Tsp. Salt

½ Tsp. Pepper

½ – 1 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

3 Tbls. Mayonnaise

Preparation:

Begin toasting your bread slices. While the bread is toasting, blitz the leeks, garlic, shallot, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor or mini-processor until finely chopped. Add the extra-virgin olive oil in 2-3 batches, pulsing 2-3 times in between each. Add the salt, pepper, and mayonnaise and blitz again, until well incorporated.

Lay the toasted slices out and slather all of them with a generous heaping of the green aioli. Stack the tomatoes and cucumber slices on 4 of the slices and top with the remaining 4 slices to make the sandwich.

Serve with 1-2 oz. of best quality cheese and enjoy!

Un-civilized Cucumber Sandwiches

Jessica — Sat, 09 May 2009 12:00:58 +0000

Ever since my dear friend, and super hostess, CS, served cucumber sandwiches at a summer party, I have been simultaneously obsessed with and repulsed by them. In spirit, their crustlessness makes them all daintiness, pinky-finger-up, civilized-to-the-point-of-oppression madness. In taste and texture, they are velvety smooth and crisp – all refreshment and succor.

Thus, I decided to ‘un-civilize’ my cucumber sandwiches, and make them something that those of us who live in the urban jungle could truly feast on.

I replaced crustless, spineless white bread with a chewy Iggy’s Everything bagel (for those unfortunate souls who are unacquainted with Iggy’s, they are the premier bagel and bread provider in the Greater Boston area). I spiced up the smooth filling with a bit of chopped scallion, salt, pepper, and some dried basil. Finally, to add a bit more flavor to the fillings, without losing the crispness, I added zucchini to the cucumber.

This is a great, GREAT sandwich for the warmer weather, when you want a bit of bite, but something cool and refreshing, as well.

Click here for a printable version of the recipe

Un-Civilized Cucumber Sandwiches, Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 Everything Bagel, halved and toasted

3 Tbls. Cream Cheese at room temperature

½ Bunch of Scallions, rough chopped

¼ Tsp. Sea Salt

¼ Tsp. Pepper

½ Tsp. Dried Basil

¼ Cup Zucchini, sliced into rounds

¼ Cup Cucumber, sliced into rounds

Preparation:

In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, scallions, salt, pepper, and dried basil and mash until well-blended.

Smear the cream cheese mixture over both halves of the bagel. Layer the zucchini and cucumber rounds over the cream cheese on both sides.

Eat either as halves or put together as a sandwich and enjoy!

Besotted Gourmet » Cucumber Sandwich

Cucumber Sandwich & Spicy Green Aioli

Un-civilized Cucumber Sandwiches