Sandwiches and Spreads

We were not famous for our variety of sandwiches but what we did do, we did well. This entry is for Jen, who enjoyed our egg salad more than anybody. It is also for Laura who was sure there was something magic in our tuna salad. And it is for Jordanne and the many others who believed that there was nothing on earth like our Tea Sandwiches.

People do crazy things with sandwiches. They load up different types of bread with any number of fillings, stuffing's, sprinkles, veggies, cheese, and saucy condiments. As a toddler, I can just barely remember being handed what I considered the greatest treat on earth. It was a honey and butter sandwich on chewy white bread. I remember enjoying each bite while I sat outside on the sunny stoop in the backyard of my parent's house in Southampton.

There were other family favourites such as butter and brown sugar sandwiches, topless butter sandwiches and cinnamon with sugar sandwiches. I must not forget to mention peanut butter and banana, cream cheese and jam, pickle and mustard surprise sandwiches. Those were a personal favourite for my sister and me. The surprise part of the mustard sandwich was that there was no meat! Sometimes we would treat ourselves and sneak fried wieners inside our English muffins. This we enjoyed while my brother would happily eat his butter and ketchup sandwich. My Dad enjoyed a good western sandwich or hot turkey smothered in gravy. By far, the best treat was a doorstop. This was a thick, heavily buttered slice of bread fresh from the oven. It was then served with real maple syrup, which was a true sign of springs arrival.

Here in Paisley, they made something called a Bridge Sandwich. I found some entries in a few of Paisley's historical publications. Elizabeth Gibson; a local nurse who was the daughter of Paisley's first village clerk, Justice of the Peace, as well as a local merchant, had a collection of cherished recipes. She had carefully pasted recipe cut-outs and handwritten pieces on the pages of her father's, Paisley Abbey Camp Sons of Scotland log book. The sandwich filling was made with cream cheese, butter, walnuts and pimentos. It was apparently served at nearly every bridge party and picnic in the village. The first entry for it I found was in 1889, with the recipe remaining popular well past 1949. I decided to revive this small piece of the past and reintroduced the sandwich to the public for our Special Tea Luncheons held on the last Saturday of every month.

Ultimately, it is the combination of fresh bread combined with the finest ingredients that make the best sandwiches. Whether serving one small child or several hundred adults, good sandwiches will be talked about for weeks after the event and remembered for a lifetime.