When I was 13 or 14, I had a good friend named Ola. Sometimes I’d go to her house after school. She was studious and curious and shy, like me, and we spent hours happily reading quietly in between plotting our future lives, complete with renderings of our future dream homes. Ola’s family had immigrated to the United States from Poland in the early 1980s, shortly after she was born.
Ham, butter and cucumber sandwiches are a tea-time delight, anytime
Total time:15 mins
Servings:2
I wish I could remember Ola’s mom’s name, but all I can recall is how tidy she kept her home, and the ham sandwiches she served with cherry-flavored tea.
Ola’s mom’s kitchen was pure white: white counters, white cabinets, white tile. Her dishes were blue and white and looked hand-painted, the brushstrokes forming beautiful, repeating and complementary patterns on each piece. The kitchen table was next to the kitchen window, which looked out onto the front yard, which housed a single maple tree whose leaves turned golden and then a ravishing orange every October.
I don’t know how many afternoons I spent sitting at that table, staring off into the distance. My daydreams would always be interrupted by our after-school snack, which was sizable enough to be dinner: Two slices of bread, spread thickly with butter, topped with Polish ham and sliced cucumbers. This was always served with black tea that was sweetened with a cherry syrup, a recipe Ola’s mom had brought with her from Warsaw.
The first time she served it, I was mystified. It was so unlike the ham sandwich I had grown up with, which was made on a soft grocery-store baguette and contained mayonnaise, ham and colby cheese. A sandwich with butter instead of mayonnaise? A ham sandwich without cheese? But then I took a bite, and had a sip of tea, and it all made sense.
Salty and meaty, Polish ham has a dense texture that pairs well with crunchy cucumbers. The soft white bread was easier to bite into than a baguette, and I still absolutely love the interplay between the sweet, tannic tea and salty, buttery sandwich.
I’ve re-created it many times for myself at home. Here’s my closest approximation, so you can give it a taste, too. It makes a marvelous lunch or dinner, especially on a cool autumn day.
Polish Ham and Cucumber Sandwiches
- If you’re vegetarian or vegan >> may I suggest these curried chickpea salad sandwiches instead?
- In place of the French loaf >> a seeded, whole-grain bread would also be nice here.
- Instead of butter >> a swipe of mustard would add a bolder flavor.
- Out of cucumbers? >> Shredded carrots could work well, too.
Want to save this recipe? Click the bookmark icon below the serving size at the top of this page, then go to My Reading List in your washingtonpost.com user profile.
Ingredients
- 1/2 soft French loaf, sliced on a bias into 4 (1-inch-thick) pieces, or other thickly sliced white bread
- 2 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted, at room temperature
- 8 thin slices boiled ham, preferably Polish
- 2 Persian cucumbers or 1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced
- Fine salt (optional)
- Brewed black tea, sweetened to taste with cherry syrup, for serving (optional)
On a cutting board or clean surface, butter one side of each slice of bread. Top each with two thin slices of ham and the cucumbers, shingling the cucumbers neatly on top of each sandwich. Season lightly with salt, if desired. Serve with the sweetened black tea, if desired.
Nutrition Information
Per serving (2 open-face sandwiches, using unsalted butter)
Calories: 418; Total Fat: 17 g; Saturated Fat: 8 g; Cholesterol: 71 mg; Sodium: 971 mg; Carbohydrates: 39 g; Dietary Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 3 g; Protein: 28 g.
This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s advice.
From staff writer G. Daniela Galarza.
Tested by Kara Elder; email questions to voraciously@washpost.com.
Did you make this recipe? Take a photo and tag us on Instagram with #eatvoraciously.
Catch up on this week’s Eat Voraciously recipes:
Monday: BLT Bucatini
Wednesday: Buffalo Wings
Source: WP
