In the film Moonraker, Hugo Drax asks James Bond, “may I press you to a cucumber sandwich?”
Are you looking for something to serve in the tea breaks at your club’s cricket matches? Or perhaps you would like to offer your guests a light mid-afternoon snack? You might also be looking for a nice addition to a picnic and a luncheon.
The answer: serve cucumber sandwiches. They are, of course, very British, and modern variants (largely of American origin) exist. They can include cream cheese, chopped dill or spices, brown bread, salmon, and even bread with crusts left intact (not recommended). My recipe is of the American origin, and it is a favorite of mine.
Cucumber sandwiches are often eaten in the summer months, thus the saying, “cool as a cucumber.” They are special, both in appearance and taste. You will end up inventing situations where you can serve them. For the recipe click on Cucumber Sandwiches and scroll down past the narrative.
Note: Some writers have attempted to draw out an association between the daintiness of the sandwich and the perceived effeteness of the British aristocracy. Cucumber sandwiches are often used as a kind of shorthand in novels and films to identify upper-class people, occasionally in a derogatory manner. To this I say POPPYCOCK! If it’s manly enough for a cricket player, I’ll eat the sandwich.