8 ounces fresh goat cheese
24 very thin slices of white sandwich bread, crusts removed
1 medium bunch watercress leaves, enough to make about 2 lightly packed cups
2 bunches of fresh chives, finely snipped to make 1/2 cup
2 tablespoons homemade or prepared mayonnaise
1. Spread goat cheese liberally on all the bread slices. Arrange the watercress leaves in an even layer on 12 of the bread slices. Top each of these slices with a second slice of bread, goat cheese side down.
2. Place the chives in a small shallow bowl. Halve each sandwich on the diagonal. Using a small spatula, carefully spread mayonnaise along the long side of one tea sandwich, and then dip this long edge into the chopped chives. Repeat with each tea sandwich.
Makes 2 dozen.
1 1/2 pounds of thick-sliced hickory-smoked peppered bacon (heidi: I used Smart Bacon - vegetarian option)
24 (4 ounces) sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup homemade or prepared mayonnaise
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
24 1/4-inch-thick slices of rye bread
6 ounces lamb's lettuce (mache) or other baby lettuce leaves, enough to make about 2 loosely packed cups
1. Heat the oven to 375F with the rack in the center. Arrange the bacon strips in a single layer without touching on 2 baking sheets and bake, one at a time, in the oven for 10 minutes each. Remove and drain off the fat.Continue to bake until the bacon is crisp, another 10 minutes. Drain and let cool on paper towels. Crumble the bacon into small pieces, about 1/2-inch each. Set aside. (heidi: I cooked the Smart Bacon in a skillet with a splash of oil until crisp).
2. Meanwhile, heat 3 cups of water in a small saucepan until almost boiling. Place the sun0dreid tomatoes in a medium bowl and cover wih the very hot water. Allow the tomatoes to soak until they are soft, about 20 minutes. Drain, pat dry, and finely chop. Combine the tomatoes and the mayonnaise. Season generously with salt and pepper.
3. Spread each bread slice with the mayonnaise mixture. Generously sprinkle half the bread slices with the bacon. Arrange the mache over the bacon, sprinkle with pepper, and top with the remaining bread. trim the crust. Slice each in half and serve.
Makes 2 dozen.
From Martha Stewart's Hors d'Oeuvres Handbook (Clarkson Potter, 1999)
101 Cookbooks