Quick and Easy Cucumber Tea Sandwiches with Chevre Herb Spread

If you already have an eye to the summer season of picnics, chances are you know how tough it can be to find something that is tasty, healthy, easy to put together and a breeze to pack. These little cucumber tea sandwiches are just that. You can put the spread together in under five minutes. Then it is just grab and go. Leaving you plenty of time to worry about the more important things. Like whether you chilled the wine or where the bocce ball set is hiding.

This recipe has been a go-to in our house for a long time and is one of my husband's secret specialties. Whenever we serve it, our friends are always surprised how quickly these elegant little bites come together. Master this simple combo and you'll have a great recipe to bring with you to all those summer gatherings.

Chevre Spread

1/2 cup soft chevre cheese
1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1 packet Italian Seasoning (I prefer Good Seasons)

Combine all three in a bowl and whisk together with a fork, or blend in a small food processor.

For those of you scoffing at the use of a pre-packaged seasoning mix, let me just plead convenience. They are, after all, just a big combination of herbs and in this case the time savings makes it worth it. To those who prefer not to use commercial mixes, or who live in an area where Italian seasoning mixes are not available, put together your own favorite combination of dried herbs using dried thyme, basil, oregano, garlic and onion.

To prepare

Rye bread or baguette
Fresh dill
1 English cucumber

Thinly slice the cucumber. English cucumbers are longer and thinner than the variety more commonly found in American grocery stores, but they have the benefit of being much less watery in the center and having few if any seeds. This is a great benefit to the final texture of these sandwiches, but of course if you cannot get an English cucumber, just get the regular kind.

Cut rye bread or baguette into thin slices. If using "sandwich loaf" style rye bread (rather than tea style where the loaf is thin and round) consider cutting each piece into quarters and trimming the crust.

Spread each slice with the chevre herb spread. Top with several thin slices of cucumber. Garnish liberally with chopped fresh dill.

If assembling in advance, I recommend you put them together "close faced" using another thin slice of bread on top. You may want to add more cucumber and chevre spread to balance out the bread. Once these sandwiches are prepared closed faced, they easily stack on one another and travel well in tupperware. If assembling at the site, slice cucumbers and bread in advance, toss the cucumbers together with the chopped dill, and store cucumbers and bread separately in containers or baggies. Store the chevre herb spread in a container and bring a knife for spreading.

I'm sending this one along to the monthly mingle, hosted by Mansi at Fun and Food.