Tea Sandwiches

Tea sandwiches are an integral part of hosting an afternoon tea. Although the traditional chicken salad or cucumber sandwich might be considered staples, why not serve something a little different. I love to come up with a variety of sandwiches, the filling or the bread can be unique and prove interesting. This individual sandwich plate was recently served at one of our special events. It represents only a portion of the tea party dainties that were served that day, of course there were oven fresh scones and a variety of desserts also. This plate of sandwiches included a basic ham salad served in a crisp phyllo cup, a Swiss cheese apple melt on crostini, a cranberry maple spread on white bread, an asparagus finger sandwich with egg yolk butter (a Martha Stewart recipe), and a shredded cucumber round with a burnet leaf garnish (in the herb garden, burnet mimics the taste of cucumber). The Swiss cheese melt and the cranberry maple spread are recipes from Pat Hartman of Civil-La-Tea, a Gettysburg tea room that has since closed but continues to sell teas and cookbooks on line. I've enjoyed making and serving the recipes from both of her cookbooks. Personally, I utilize a wide variety of sources for tea sandwich ideas including magazines, the Internet, and other tea room cookbooks that all inspire the next plate of sandwiches.