Outdoor Entertaining: Sandwich Season
“I don’t like sandwiches,” said no one, ever! Without a doubt, whether warmed, grilled or cold and crispy on a doughy roll, the sandwich is much loved around the world. So, let’s celebrate the glory of the sandwich in August – National Sandwich Month – with a fun and delicious little get-together.
Who exactly do we have to thank for our beloved sandwich? Well, although there has been some mention of the concept in the 1st Century B.C. with a Passover custom of sandwiching a mixture of nuts, apples and spices between two matzohs, the first real record appears to be from 1762 England. The cooks at London’s Beef Steak Club, a gentlemen’s gaming club at the Shakespeare Tavern, are believed to have invented – or perfected – the first sandwich. Legend has it that club member John Montague, also known as the Earl of Sandwich, was too busy gambling to stop for food, so a servant prepared meat tucked between two slices of bread. Many in the club started to order the “same as Sandwich.” The rest, as they say, is delicious history.
So, let’s get busy celebrating. Outdoor casual, of course will be best for our sandwich party, and except for some indoor preparation, we’ll cook and serve outside. A couple of picnic tables or any outdoor table can be adorned with a tray of herb/veggie wraps that work as décor and appetizer – perfect way to use some of the garden bounty of zucchini and cucumbers. Cut very thin, long zucchini slices and simply wrap sticks of carrots, celery and cucumber, then garnish with chives and parsley. Stand them on end, secure with decorative toothpicks if necessary, and keep them refrigerated until guests arrive. I guarantee you’ll be told they are just too pretty to eat. Also, with summer waning, it might be nice to freshen up the outdoor seating. Continue the sandwich theme by sandwiching existing outdoor chair pads for a pretty new look. Literally sandwich a thin cushion between two pretty scarves or bandanas. Use rubber bands to secure each of the four ends and then tie a bow around the rubber bands with twine or pretty ribbon – casually adorable.
Now with the décor under control, let’s tackle the menu. Making a sandwich wonderful requires little more than fantastic bread, well thought-out seasonings and spreads, and of course, the perfect filling. With that in mind, I’ve selected three appealing choices. Since the sandwich is the star of the show, the sides will be limited to good old-fashioned chips and pickles. No fancy chips, just the good, old original potato chips in the yellow bag because you can’t improve on perfection. Pickles need to be dill. I like spears rather than pickle chips because they dress up the plate so nicely.
One hot sandwich and two cold will do. Let’s begin with the cold. Nothing says summer more than cool, crunchy cucumber and tangy lemon, so cucumber on crustless white bread with lemony cream cheese spread will be first. This is a winning combination, and will almost serve as your appetizer, so be prepared with plenty. Cut in small tea-sandwich size, and add a few springs of lush green parsley, chive or dill for a pretty presentation.
Next will be chicken salad – shredded chicken with pecans and dried cranberries, with a Dijon mustard/mayo dressing. Finely chopped onion and celery provide extra crunch and a good doughy roll will work well. Remember to ask ahead of time if any guest requires a gluten-free bread option. There are finally some good gluten-free artisan bread choices in your grocery stores.
Now, clearly no sandwich celebration would be complete without the almighty grilled cheese, and I mean a legit grilled cheese on a grill. This one might actually qualify as a masterpiece. You may look at my ingredient list and wonder, but I would never steer you wrong. It’s a little tedious, but so worth the effort. Pepper Jack grilled cheese with strawberry pepper sauce and arugula. The sweetness of the strawberry jam with the pepper, Pepper Jack cheese and arugula combines with the cream cheese for a delicious sandwich experience. Making them on the grill, however, requires some planning. Most important, you will need three heat zones on a preheated grill – set one zone to medium-high, one to medium, and use the warming rack to keep warm until serving. Use thick slices of bread and put it in the freezer for 10 minutes before grilling because regular, room temperature sandwich bread might fall apart on the grill. Most important, use lots of oil to coat the outsides of the bread. This ensures the bread won’t stick to the grates. Grill starting off on a medium-high heat zone to get sandwiches nicely toasted on both sides, and then move over to a medium zone to melt the cheese. These look almost as good as they taste.
Now, with the sandwiches under control, we just need to finish this event with an appropriate dessert and a signature beverage. Nothing washes down a sandwich better than a beer or a lemonade, so let’s make it both with our own summer shandy. Shandy is a great refreshing summertime drink and couldn’t be easier to make. It’s nothing more than a mix of beer and lemonade. The average shandy uses equal parts of beer and lemonade, though these proportions can vary. You might want to add a little less lemonade with a light beer or use more with a lager. If you don’t have time to make your own lemonade, a good store-bought one will do. For best results, make each glass individually, or instruct guests how to mix their own. They can play with the proportions of lemonade to beer. Garnish with a slice of lemon, lime or even grapefruit for some extra zest. So refreshing!
You’ve already guessed that the dessert must be, yes, a sandwich, and a cookie sandwich qualifies, so here we go. In honor of one of the greatest sandwiches of our time, the fluffernutter, we’ll make oatmeal cookie sandwiches and fill them with a mixture of peanut butter and marshmallow crème, or Fluff as we know it. Decadent, yes, but so worth it. Use your favorite oatmeal cookie recipe or use larger store-bought cookies. Choose easy-to-find gluten-free cookies if you have guests who require them. The difference in taste and consistency is undetectable. I cream together the Fluff and the peanut butter, but you could spread them separately – one on each cookie. Fill the cookies, refrigerate and serve – a sweet ending to a fun afternoon.
With our sandwich tribute complete and our bellies full, we can sit back and enjoy another shandy on a beautiful late summer day, basking in the glory of another successful party. Cheers to friends, family, Sir Montague and the beloved sandwich – simply the best thing since sliced bread!
Grilled Pepper Jack Cheese with Strawberry Pepper Jam and Arugula Sandwiches
Makes 4
Ingredients:
• 8 slices thickly sliced bread 4 sandwiches (I like sourdough)
• 8 Pepper Jack cheese slices
• 1 tablespoon cream cheese per sandwich
• ¼ cup strawberry jam
• 1-2 teaspoons cayenne hot sauce depends how spicy you like it!
• Fresh arugula
• Olive oil for the outsides of the bread
Directions:
Mix strawberry jam and cayenne pepper in microwave-safe bowl.
Microwave for 40 seconds and stir.
Spread cream cheese on four slices of bread and jam mixture on other four.
Cover each with a slice of Pepper Jack cheese.
Add arugula.
Combine to make sandwiches.
Spread olive oil generously on each side of the sandwiches.
Spray nonstick cooking spray on preheated grill.
Begin on medium-high heat until outside is nicely toasted.
Move sandwiches to low heat to melt cheese.
Move each to warming rack as necessary.
Cucumber Tea Sandwiches
Makes 12 finger sandwiches
Ingredients:
4 ounces whole cream cheese, softened to room temp
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill
Zest and juice of half a large lemon
Salted butter, softened for spreading on bread slices
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 slices high-quality white bread, crust removed
½ large cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced, thoroughly dried with paper towels
Directions:
Combine first six ingredients. Spread on three of the bread slices. Arrange seeded cucumber slices on the spread. Top with other three bread slices. Cut in halves or quarters.
Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Makes 4
Ingredients:
For the Chicken Salad Dressing
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
2½ teaspoons lemon juice
For the Chicken Salad
1½ cups shredded chicken
½ cup celery, finely chopped
2 tablespoons green onions, finely chopped
¼ cup pecans, toasted, chopped
¼ cup dried cranberries
Directions:
To Make the Chicken Salad Dressing
Mix mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon, sugar, salt, white pepper and lemon juice well.
To Make the Chicken Salad
Mix together, chicken, celery, onions pecans, cranberries and dressing. Mix well and refrigerate at least two hours.
For sandwich, combine lettuce and chicken salad on soft roll. Serve with dill pickle and chips.
Fluffernutter Cookie Sandwiches
Makes 4
Ingredients:
Large oatmeal cookies
Peanut Butter
Marshmallow Crème
Directions:
Cream together equal amounts of peanut butter and marshmallow crème. Generously spread mixture on one cookie and then top with another. Refrigerate before serving.
