Day Two Hundred and Twenty Nine : A very Nordic Tea Sandwich

Most Sundays at the New Amsterdam Market, you can find an exceptional bread made by a company called Nordic Breads. These Finnish Ruis Breads are baked by the chef for the Canadian Mission to the United Nations, Simo Kuuisto who hails from Oulu in northern Finland. The breads are all made with whole grain rye, a tradition with its toes steeped in folklore and legend in Finland. As the Finnish say, it "puts power in the wrists." Apart from being good for energy, these breads are high in fiber and low in fat. The small version is a flattened hockey puck round and the large version, kind of an oversized flagel shape.

image courtesy of www.nordicbreads.com

So, why am I talking about this yummy whole grain rye Finnish bread, well that's because it is great to use for an updated version of a tea sandwich, perfect for a different texture carb with health benefits to boot! 

What's my recipe for this updated tea sandwich? Local at its best that's for sure!

Take the Nordic bread and cut it in half horizontally. Heat and then top with some nice EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), some coriander, and some sea salt. Place this to the side. I like to then take some Salvatore Brooklyn ricotta and dice some red onion and parsley and mix all together. Top your bread with a nice layer of your onion - parsley ricotta. Then top with a thin slice of cucumber and a thin slice of French Breakfast Radish and one parsley leaf and you're good to go. Fresh, light, lactic, herbal, yeasty, and all around delish, this little tea sandwich will be extremely satisfying and is the perfect counterpart to a glass of Duckwalk 2009 Sauvignon Blanc. The wine will be crisp and light with tropical fruit notes and a nice bouncy-ness. Great for one another, enjoy this pairing!