Sunday, at Home, Suppers with the French

Sunday Suppers with the French

I had an apartment in Paris and looked forward to cooking for my French friends as soon as I arrived. The French seemed to always start off the dining experience with olives or nuts or, strangely enough, radishes with sea salt. I am sure they would relish this recipe from Cook's Corner in the Columbus Dispatch. It is my new favorite thing.

I didn't have cucumbers at the time and loved the recipe just the same. I also used the spread on toasted olive oil bread from the Giant Eagle in our town. It would be just as great on tea sandwich bread cut for tea time or with crackers as a dip.

Cucumber Sandwiches with Radish Spread...for the French (with a glass of wine)

24 servings

Grate 1 cup of radishes by hand or in the food processor

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 cup chopped green onions

16 slices very thin white bread such as Pepperidge Farm, crusts trimmed (I used toasted olive oil bread)

1 seedless cucumber, thinly sliced

Kosher salt

Beat cream cheese and butter with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in celery salt and cayenne. Stir in radishes and green onions. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 2 days to blend flavors. (This makes a big difference, so be sure to do this.)

Spread a thin layer of radish mixture over all the bread slices. Arrange cucumber over spread on half of the bread slices. Sprinkle with salt. Top with remaining bread slices. Cut each sandwich into three rectangular strips.

You can also use this as a layer on a sandwich with any deli meat or chicken. One can hardly go wrong with this recipe.