I recently compiled a book of recipes oriented towards the hiker, the camper, the boater, the beach-bud, the front porch entertainer; in sum, all of those wonderful outdoor summer activities that call for simple, transportable food to enrich the experience. While not usually the biggest fan of sandwiches (often too dry, or too heavy), there are times in one’s life when the legendary John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, has done us a tremendous favor in instigating the stack of meat between two slices of bread, to free up a hand for engaging activities.
Endlessly adaptable to ingredients on hand and to personal preference, sandwiches can be put together by children, thrown together by desperate mothers or fathers for a snack, or served at the most elegant of affairs. They’re great for the backpack, and equally grand for the cooler for a road trip or to a summer festival.
The recipes below will appear in the author’s forthcoming Adirondack Living Cookbook: 150 Recipes for Cabin, Camp & Beyond, published by Hatherleigh Press, which can be pre-ordered at your local book store or online.
Cream Cheese & Olive Sandwiches
Hiking is always a good recipe for hunger, whether you are navigating the Appalachian Trail, the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, taking a day trip in the Smokies, or simply wandering a path around camp. Foods that fit in a pack and satisfy a rumbling stomach are friends on any day. For this recipe, a neutral bread and classic cream cheese will achieve the most delicious results. Olives stuffed with pimento are a good go-to here, but any kind of pitted olive will work.
Ingredients:
- Bread of choice
- Cream cheese
- Olives of choice
Preparation:
Spread cream cheese on bread and top with slivered olives, covering with a final layer of bread. You can also spread cream cheese on both sides of the bread, thereby enrobing the olives perfectly in the center. Wrap the sandwich for transportation, or halve (or quarter) on the diagonal and serve as an appetizer.
Cucumber & Cream Cheese Sandwiches
My paternal grandmother, Marion Louise Porter Gott, was queen of the elegant sandwich. She bought the right bread (white), she cut the edges off the crust, she used just the right proportion of whatever ingredient she wielded, and she spread the ingredients all the way out to the edge of the bread, a key step to enjoying all bites of the sandwich. She often made several dozen at a time to feed her hungry crew. This was her classic favorite, a bit of a stretch of the imagination at the time to a girl the age of 10, or to her younger brother and ever-ravenous cousins.
Ingredients:
- Bread of choice, white being classic
- Cream cheese, a block being best
- Cucumbers, peeled and finely sliced (a mandolin produces the best results)
- Salt and white pepper, to taste
- Tarragon (optional; Grandma didn’t have access to this!)
Preparation:
Spread the cream cheese on the bread, being careful not to tear the bread itself. Slice cucumbers fine and layer on the sandwich with a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and tarragon, should you happen to have any on hand. Place the top slice on the sandwich, cut into four quarters after removing the crusts (if you haven’t already done so before), and serve as an hors d’oeuvre at a porch-side setting. This is good for the road, too, or for a picnic on the lake.
Classic PB&J
Classic here is open to interpretation, but whatever household formed your first taste references, if you grew up in America, the PB&J is likely to have figured somewhere.
Ingredients:
- Bread of choice
- Peanut butter of choice
- Jelly of choice
Preparation:
Spread peanut butter on one slice of bread and jelly on another - all the way out to the edges - then press together and slice in triangles or quarters if you wish. Enjoy with your favorite beverage; Milk might be the go-to but beer or champagne is just as fine.
The choice of bread, peanut butter and jelly are key to making your perfect PB&J. White, whole wheat, rye, sourdough; these all give the sandwich a different flavor. For the peanut butter, chunky or creamy, salty or sweet — these also make a big difference in taste and texture. For jelly: grape is classic, with strawberry probably next in line, but even marmalade works, or a savory tomato jam!
Mater Sammies
The next most popular sandwich in America behind the PB&J is the tomato sandwich, or as it is fondly called in the South, a “‘mater” sandwich. These are especially good on the beach, even if a little bit of sand blows in as you are eating the soft, drippy mess.
Ingredients:
- Ripe, juicy tomatoes
- Bread (white is really best for this)
- Mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Basil leaves (optional)
Preparation:
Choose your bread. Slice your tomatoes about a quarter-inch thick. Spread bread with mayonnaise and layer the tomatoes in place. Salt and pepper, put in place the top layer of bread, wrap for a picnic or eat immediately, with a few leaves of basil tucked in if you have them.
Pimento Cheese Sandwich
Purportedly born in New York City and popularized in the South, pimento (or pimiento) cheese has been a classic sandwich spread since the late 1800s when it was introduced to the American palate. Keep it simple or spice it up. Use only cream cheese or only mayonnaise, or a mix of the two, to temper the cheddar. Try a smoky cheese or toss in some chopped herbs. Vary the quantity and proportions. Make it your own.
Ingredients:
- 1-2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
- 4-8 ounces softened cream cheese
- 2-4 ounces roasted and drained pimento peppers
- 1-2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- Dash of cayenne or a few finely-chopped jalapeños (optional)
- Salt to taste
Preparation:
Grate cheddar and mix in other ingredients. Spread on bread, top and enjoy! You may toast the sandwich if you wish, or add some lettuce for crunch.
Here’s to your outdoor wanderings!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Susi Gott Séguret, CCP, CSW, hails from the depths of Appalachia in Madison County, North Carolina, but honed her culinary skills in France, where she resided for over 20 years, earning a diploma in Gastronomy and Taste from the Cordon Bleu and the Université de Reims. Author of several cookbooks including Appalachian Appetite, and Cooking with Truffles, Susi orchestrates multiple sensory experiences including the Seasonal School of Culinary Arts, the Asheville Truffle Experience, and the Appalachian Culinary Experience. Passionate about elements of taste and style, and how they extend from our palate into our daily lives, Susi strives to blend food, music, words and images into a tapestry for the senses. For more details, visit quintessentialtable.com.