 It is summer, and it is artichoke season. And I am always up for a new way to enjoy them.
Earlier this Spring, the LA Times had a series of great recipes, including one for Cold Artichoke Tea Sandwiches. They looked fantastic, so I had to give them a try in the Delaney Test Kitchen. I really love tea sandwiches – pimento cheese, egg salad, tuna salad, chicken salad. I love them all. But this sounded like a great addition to that mix. This recipe needs to be made, and then sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. So while I was making this for a fancy luncheon, I realized it could be made ahead of time for a perfect easy WFH (or now back at the office) lunch. The trick is to use fresh, soft bread so it won't dry out in the fridge. Ironically, this recipe called for canned or jarred artichoke hearts, not fresh. So I will still have to try the recipe for Artichokes a la Baba Ghanouj that was also in the LA Times. For that one I’ll roast them at home, and it looks delicious. But we’ll try that one next weekend. This recipe was really easy, and it would be easy to make it vegan just by switching out the mayo for vegan mayo. I also felt it needed a pinch more salt than what the recipe called for. On another note, please notice the gorgeous plate this is plated on. This is from East Fork Pottery, based in Asheville, NC and they have an outpost here in Atlanta. Founded by Co-Founders Alex Matisse (grandson of the artist), Connie Matisse and John Vigeland, they design, manufacture and sell ceramic dishware with iron-rich clays dug from the American South East and colored with glazes they formulate and mix in-house. You may recognize their famous “The Mug”, since it has been featured in The New York Times and is difficult to keep in stock (search IG for #themug). And The Mug is really something else – it is the perfect mug, perfectly sized and shaped for your hand. I highly recommend it. Cold Artichoke Tea Sandwiches INGREDIENTS: ¾ cup mayonnaise ¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ½ teaspoon sweet paprika 1 small or ½ large shallot, minced (¼ cup) 1 almond-sized garlic clove 8 ounces (drained weight) canned or jarred artichoke hearts, rinsed and well-drained 16 slices whole-wheat or white soft sandwich bread or pain de mie Salty potato chips, for serving PREPARATION: 1. In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, parsley, dill, chives, salt, pepper, paprika and shallot. Using a microplane grater, grate the garlic into the mayonnaise mixture. Using a food processor or a knife, pulse to finely chop the artichoke hearts. Add the artichokes to the mayonnaise mixture and stir to combine. 2. Arrange 8 slices of bread on a work surface and divide the artichoke filling among them, about 3 to 4 tablespoons each. Spread the filling to within 1/4-inch of the edges of the bread. Top each with another slice of bread, then transfer to a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap or foil. Refrigerate for at least two hours or up to two days. 3. Use a serrated knife to remove the crusts from the sandwiches, then halve, either diagonally to make two triangles or into neat rectangles. Serve the sandwiches chilled, with potato chips.  A few years ago I tried my first egg salad sandwich. It was at Starbucks, and it turned out to be quite yummy. The secret ingredient was the tarragon that was mixed in. I love tarragon. I always keep some on hand so that I can add it to a charcuterie plate – it’s a nice addition that I picked up from a charcuterie plate that we had in Paris. Great trip, great food, great memories, and I get to remind myself every time I make a new charcuterie. The biggest “issue” with making egg salad is hard boiling the eggs first. Lucky for me, my husband loves eggs and bought this cure little cooker that can cook them a variety of ways – including hard boiled – very easily. For this recipe, I assembled everything while the eggs cooked, which only took 10-11 minutes. Which makes this not only a lunch you can easily pack the night before, but a quick WFH lunch that covers two days. I searched the internet for a recipe that was similar to the one I had initially liked so much. The one that came the closest is the Tarragon Egg Salad recipe from The Food Network. And it couldn’t be easier. The recipe calls for 4 eggs, which makes two good sized sandwiches. I made one to eat and saved the rest to make a sandwich tomorrow. Here is the recipe: Tarragon Egg Salad recipe from The Food Network INGREDIENTS: 4 to 6 eggs 3 Tb Mayonnaise 1 chopped shallot 1 tsp white wine vinegar 1 Tb chopped Tarragon Salt and pepper to taste The recipe calls for serving it on Pumpernickel (which I love) but I chose to serve mine in a pita. PREPARATION: 1) Make the hard cooked eggs: Place 4 to 6 eggs in a large saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch and bring to a simmer. Cover, remove from the heat and set aside for 8-10 minutes. Darin, then peel in a bowl of cold water. Chop the hard boiled eggs. 2) Mix the 3 Tb of mayonnaise, 1 chopped shallot, 1 tsp white wine vinegar, 1 Tb chopped tarragon and salt and pepper. Add in the chopped eggs and mix well. 3) Serve on bread (or in a pita). If you try this one, please let me know if you like it. And if you've had the one at Starbucks, let me know how you think this one compares. Thanks!  This is the cute little egg cooker my husband found on Amazon. I don't see it listed there anymore, but there are many just like it, all under $20. |
AuthorKris Delaney is a marketing executive, foodie, travel enthusiast, and book nerd based in Atlanta, GA. Archives
March 2025
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