Savory bites, sweet touches combine for a classic tea

In the 1990s and early 2000s, I hosted several trips to England, France, and Italy — and each time in London made tea at Harrod’s part of the itinerary. Recollections of those teas — and all the journeys — give a great feeling of contentment from being able to share places in the world that have become beloved to me.

The headline of the column in which a picture of the trip appeared read “Tea: the last bastion of gracious, civilized ritual” — (I do go on, don’t I?) Today, our two-part tea odyssey continues where last weeks’ simple cream tea left off.

Remember, scones as an integral part of any tea, are always served with — or just before — the sandwiches and not as dessert. Simply serve the scones in a basket, accompanied by strawberry jam, butter and clotted cream to put together as one wishes. Then set out the sandwiches and go-withs.

Several kinds of tea should be offered. Have three pots — one with say, Oolong, one Orange Pekoe and the other hot water with a basket of tea bags holding Darjeeling, green and other favorites.

Champagne and chilled flutes should also be available on the table. Too, bowls of strawberries accompanied by clotted cream or dipped in chocolate are an integral part of any tea. However, there is one slight problem with fresh strawberries in early May in North Idaho. There aren’t any! If you find strawberries at a market, check to see that they are organic and/or where they’re from, and insist on having a bite of one to make sure that gorgeous red beauty isn’t woody.  If they don’t pass the test, content yourself with pure preserves on your scones.

The following recipes are authentic. Enjoy!

Cucumber Cress Sandwiches

1 English cucumber

16 slices firm white or wheat (or mixed tops and bottoms) sandwich bread, crusts removed

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, softened

1/4 cup cream cheese (whipped)

Fresh-ground black pepper

Salt

3 cups packed watercress sprigs (or broadleaf parsley leaves, well-minced)

Peel cucumber and cut into thin (1/8-inch) slices. Spread half the bread slices generously with butter; and season with pepper and salt.

Arrange cucumber slices atop, overlapping as needed. Top with watercress or chopped parsley leaves. Spread remaining bread slices with cream cheese, place atop prepared slices, pressing down gently.

With a serrated knife, diagonally cut each sandwich into quarters. Garnish with a watercress or parsley sprig if desired.

Makes 12 tea sandwiches.

Smoked Salmon Tea Sandwiches

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill fronds

16 slices rye bread, crusts removed, or combination of wheat/white bread

3-4 packages smoked salmon (lox)

In a small bowl, combine mayo and sour cream. Add dill, stirring to combine; set aside. Spread half the bread slices with butter, then the salmon slices, folding and arranging carefully and equally.

Spread remaining bread slices with the mayo-sour cream mixture and place atop prepared slices. Cut diagonally into quarters and garnish with a thin lemon or cucumber slice.

Roast Beef Sandwiches

Rye, wheat or white combined breads, crusts removed

Butter, creamy horseradish spread, cream cheese

Thin-sliced deli beef, folded once

Crisp red radishes, very thinly sliced

Butter half of the sandwich breads, top with a few thin slices of radish.* Lay folded slice of roast beef atop. Spread cream cheese on remaining halves, top with horseradish cream and press gently down on beef. Cut into triangles.

* You may make some radish roses as decoration in lieu of using them in the sandwiches.

There must always be desserts to choose from. Cake is the easiest, and a purchased ready-made pound or angel food cake may be dressed up in myriad ways with frostings, whipped cream, fruits, raspberry jam, lemon curd or orange marmalade to make it look as though there are many choices.

For baking yourself, go with single layers to decorate prettily — include something chocolate, please! Simply dust with powdered sugar if you wish, or drizzle with the following recipe.

Orange icing: In a small bowl, stir together 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel, and enough orange juice to make icing of consistency you prefer (1-2 tablespoons).

    Smoked salmon sandwiches are a tasty part of a high afternoon tea.

   Looking for a little more substance to your afternoon tea? Try these roast beef sandwiches.

    Valle Novak
  

Editor’s note: For many years, Valle Novak wrote gardening and cooking columns for the Daily Bee. Weekend Gardener and Country Chef became renowned for their humor, information and common‑sense advice on everything from planting to cooking. She left behind many columns — such as this one — to delight her many fans.