After a week “off” from my CSA for my aforementioned magical yoga retreat, I was excited to resume having a kitchen stocked with fresh produce….especially as summer has finally arrived in Colorado and I find myself craving light, cool meals.
Last week there was a bunch of radishes in my share and I took to the Internet to figure out something creative/interesting to do with them. I quickly learned that radish tea sandwiches are a thing and as a fan of all things High Tea, I decided to go this route.
Remember when I talked recently about the health benefits of consuming small fish high in omega 3s? Well, guess what you get to slather on your radish sandwich? Anchovy butter! I know it sounds crazy….but it’s actually far more palatable than sardines in my opinion. The butter offers a rich umami flavor and isn’t overtly fishy. If you can find or order anchovy paste, as I did at Whole Foods, your life will be just a little bit easier.
I blended maybe half the tube of paste with a whole stick of softened (Kerrygold) butter in the food processor along with half a chopped shallot.
There! Then I found this great pumpernickel bread, also at Whole Foods, which was sliced perfectly thin for my sandwiches.
I mean, look at that couple. Who knew pumpernickel could bring people together like this?
Et voila! I sprinkled my little tea sandwich with some coarse salt and was shocked by how good it was. If you had told me I was going to crave radish sandwiches this summer I would have been dumbfounded….but it’s happening! With some sliced up veggies, hummus, and fruit, it makes for a perfect meal when it’s too hot outside to consider using the oven.
Of course you can just use regular butter if the anchovy throws you off. But I encourage you to try it because it’s so unexpectedly delightful and adds some dimension to this simple sandwich.
No matter what you incorporate, I encourage you to try making “grazing boards” for your dinners this summer. You could incorporate olives, nuts, stuffed dates, prosciutto-wrapped melon…. have fun and be creative! It feels elegant, won’t weigh you down, and will feed your eyes, tummy, and soul 🙂
