One of the best investments I have made for my “batterie de cuisine” is buying a good mandoline.  A mandoline is a kitchen utensil used for slicing, julienne or crinkle cut vegetables. One of the many advantages is the speed and uniformity in the thickness in which slicing can be done with very little effort.  I like to use mine to thinly slice cucumbers to make these refreshing and crunchy finger sandwiches. I bring them to a friend’s house for a ladies luncheon, school events and a few days ago made them for a league tennis match.  Always a big success!  Don’t forget to place a damp paper towel on bottom and on top of the tray in order to keep them moist and fresh.  I am only mentioning ingredients and procedure without quantities because it all depends on how many people you will be feeding.

Enjoy!

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

Ingredients

whole wheat club sandwich bread

thinly sliced fresh cucumber

cilantro-mayonnaise (for every tbsp of mayo add 1 stp of finely chopped fresh cilantro)

Procedure

1.  With a serrated bread knife, neatly cut club bread’s crust or cut bread slices with a round cookie cutter if making round sandwiches.

2.  Cut cucumber very, very thin with a mandoline.

3.  Mix mayo and cilantro in a small bowl. Spread cilantro-mayonnaise on two pieces of bread and place 1 or two slices of cucumber to build tea sandwich.  Cut in three when making rectangles.

4.  Place on a serving tray covered with damp paper towel to keep bread moist and soft.  Keep refrigerated.