Benedictine Sandwiches

Garden and Gun bills this creamy cucumber spread as "Kentucky's Pimiento Cheese Cousin," so of course it caught my attention in my inbox. I've also seen some awesomeness of pastoral beauty, food, people and even basketball come from the Fried Chicken Leg state (see the outline of the state if you are confused by my descriptor), so I thought they might know how to do a sandwich well too.

It makes for a refreshing summer or spring tea sandwich, or as we fashioned it, mid-day girly lake weekend meal.

It might have been the kind of meal that made certain members of the opposite sex beg for ham or turkey, but bacon made it a bit more meaty and all the more Southern, kind of like a creamy T-less BLT.

For the record, my recipe is more a variation on a commenter's version than the restaurant recipe the magazine ran. It seemed a bit more home kitchen friendly and just plain practical because you strained the cucumber (spread with too much veggie juice=gross).

Also, post-sandwich photographing I discovered the spread is even better on buttery crackers because you can taste more of the cucumber-onion role in the mix than on the sandwich. Go figure, because I prefer pimiento cheese on crackers over a sandwich.

Bookends for a perfect summer Saturday

Start the day at a farmers market, or two if you are racking up a photo collection for community newspapers.

Homewood Farmers Market photos taken for The Homewood Star.

End it cooking up farmers market booty with friends.

Publix pizza dough with olive oil, garlic, green and yellow zucchini, fresh mozzarella, squash blossoms courtesy of my horticulturally talented roommate's garden, and turkey bacon.

Also, drink wine and eat cupcakes.

Tomato-Cucumber Bruschetta

Thought One: Make something snacky for people coming over Saturday night.
Thought Two: It's summer. It should taste like summertime.
Thought Three: Ocean serves that tomato-cucumber stuff with crostini. It's like better than their entrees.
Thought Four: Hey, I just bought cucumber and tomato at the farmers market.
Thought Five: Mad's remake of Ocean yum was totally meant to be.

I never cease to be amazed when vegetables can be this refreshing tasting and addictive. Those who partook agreed.

The spread for an evening in the backyard for my friend Jennifer to share about her work in nonprofit architecture serving global missions with 100 Fold Studio: the aforementioned bruschetta masterpiece, mini peach cupcakes, grapes, mixed nuts, limade and vino.

The bruschetta is definitely making future appearances at the lake.