Afternoon Meals

Meals in the middle of the day are fairly new beginning in the nineteenth century.  Again there was a difference among the classes.  The lower classes rarely had more than bread for breakfast and a small meal before going to bed at night.  The upper classes sometimes had a light meal in the early afternoon, but this was not on a regular basis. Breakfast was served later in the morning. However if there was an early breakfast served and an active morning, a light meal may be serve in the early afternoon called nuncheon.   Lunch was more popular in America.  A very heavy breakfast was served at dawn and a large meal in the middle of the day.  The evening meal was light.  Today lunch is usually a lighter meal.  In the South, the midday meal is called dinner and is usually more substantial than a lunch.  The evening meal is called supper. 

 

Lunch

            Lunch is a lighter meal.  Today, lunch usually consists of a sandwich, soup or salad with vegetables or chips on the side and maybe a light dessert like a cookie or cupcake. Often it is a portable meal that people can take to work or to school.

 

Dinner

            Dinner is a heavier, usually hot meal.  It consists of hot meat with vegetables and starches.  Usually a nice dessert is also served, like pie or cake.  When I was growing up, we sometimes had dinner after church on Sunday.  My grandmother usually made pot roast.  She could put it the oven before church and finish the meals with biscuits and gravy after church.  We usually had two kinds of pie to choose for dessert.  This tradition carries on with Thanksgiving.  Many families have their Thanksgiving dinner early in the afternoon.  Others have it in the early evening.  To this day, I prefer my largest meal in the middle of the day and a light meal in the evening.

 

Tea

            Tea began in the United Kingdom in the eighteen century.    Since lunch was not a common meal and the evening meal was often serve between eight and ten in the evening, it was difficult get through the day.   Generally, this is a light meal served with tea between two and five in the afternoon.  It can be as simple as bread, butter and jam or have an elaborate selection of savories and sweets.  Tea was most often celebrated by the ladies as a social time.  However men were often present.  High Tea is a light affair with finger foods.  Low Tea is more of a full meal with hot dishes.

 

This Week’s Challenge

            Plan a Tea.  This can be for a small group of four or a special event like a baby shower or an informal birthday.  Plan at least three savories and three sweets to serve and the blend of tea.  Pay attention to portion size in relation to your guest list.  You may need to add more to the menu or make very small portions.  Research tea etiquette.  Invite your guests with consideration of someone for the honor of being asked to pour the tea.  You may have a guest of honor.

 

Tip for this Week – Making Tea

            According to the British the tea must be loose and not bagged.

1.    Put cold water in your kettle and bring it to a hard boil.

2.    Place two teaspoons of loose leaf tea in an infuser. 

3.    Temper the teapot by adding some hot water to it and swirl it around in the pot.

4.    When the water as reach boiling. Throw out the water in the tea pot.

5.    Add the infuser and pour in the hot water.

6.    Allow the tea to seep a minimum of five minutes before serving.

 

This Week in Punkin’s Kitchen

Open Face Salmon Sandwich



Warm sandwich served with dill pickles

 

1                      Salmon fillet, cooked

1                      Celery rib, finely diced

½                     Shallot, finely diced

¼ C                 Mayonnaise or plain yogurt

¼ t                   Dill, dried or fresh

                        Salt and pepper to taste

2 slices           Rye bread

4 slices           Cheese, Gouda or Swiss

 

The Ingredients

1.            Place the salmon in a bowl and flake with a fork.


 

Flake the salmon with a fork.

Use leftover salmon or canned



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.            Finely dice the celery and shallot and add to the flaked salmon.

 

 

Shallot and celery

Add to the flaked salmon



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.            Add the seasonings and the mayonnaise.  Blend adding more mayo as needed.



 

Mayo and seasonings added

Blend well

 

 

 

4.            Spread the salmon salad on each of the slices of rye bread.

 

I prefer dark rye, but any rye will do.

Cover the bread, but not to thickly

 

 

 

5.            Top with the sliced cheese and place under a broiler or in a toaster oven.

 

 

Use a strong cheese.  I used Gouda.

Heat until melted and warmed through

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.            Heat until the cheese is melted and the sandwiches are heated through.

 

Serve with dill pickles or pickled beets.  Also a thin slice of tomato may be used to top the sandwich or a sprinkle of more dill on top the melted cheese.  I prefer dark rye, but any rye bread will do nicely.  I like to use a strong cheese like Gouda, but any cheese will do.  Havarti is good.  Different herbs or grated lemon peel work nicely.   Try other leftover fish or canned salmon or tuna.  This is my favorite way to use leftover fish.  Low calorie mayonnaise or plain yogurt will reduce the fat content and calories.

 

            Punkin’s Pasta Salad



 

 

Rigatoni pasta (3/4 of a box, I like to use tricolor)

¼ C     Onion, finely chopped

One    Tomato, finely chopped

Fresh basil, shredded

1 can Garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 can Olives, drained

4 oz. Mozzarella cheese sliced

(I like to use the stick form so that the cheese is in small circle slices)

1 oz. Parmesan or Romano cheese, freshly grated

Dressing

Fresh basil sprigs

 

Salad ingredients

 

1.    Cook the pasta as directed on the package.  Be sure not to overcook it. 

Pasta cooking

Allow the pasta to cool



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.    While it is cooking make the dressing below. 

3.    Finely chop the onion and tomato. 

Other veggies can be used

Add the olives and garbanzo beans

 

4.    When the pasta is cool enough to work with your hands, place it in a large bowl.  Add the onion, tomato and basil, toss lightly with your hands. 

5.    Add the drained olives and beans.  Toss lightly with your hands. 

I used my homemade fresh mozzarella. 
I sometimes use the small marinated
fresh mozzarella balls. 

 

6.    Add the sliced mozzarella and the dressing, toss. 

7.    Top with the grated parmesan and garnish with basil sprigs.

Fresh grated Pecorino Romano

Garnished with fresh basil








 

8.    Allow the salad to sit and marinate as long as possible, at least an hour or two.

 

Dressing

3 T       Raspberry vinegar

3T        Grape seed oil or olive oil

1 ½ t    Dijon mustard

1 T       Onion, very finely chopped

1 lg.     Clove of garlic pressed through a garlic press

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste


 

The dressing ingredients

The vinegar and oil

  

 

 

Whisk all the ingredients together thoroughly.

Red onion and Dijon added

Whisk to blend

 

 

 

Ribbon Sandwiches

The ingredients

 

2          Loaves of uncut white bread, they may be tinted light colors

            Sandwich spread of your choice

 

1.    Cut the crust from the loaves of bread.  You should have two crust less bricks of bread.

These loaves were very long, so I cut them
in half to make them more manageable.

Remove the crusts as thinly as you
can.  The bread should look like this.

 

2.    Place the bread on its side and slice it horizontally.  You should have 4-5 slices.

It is best to use at least two colors.

The second loaf was white.

 

3.    Repeat with the other loaf.

4.    Make your spread.  It can be as simple and butter thinly slice cucumber, cream cheese and jam, pimento cheese spread, or chicken salad.

5.    Take a slice from the first loaf and spread with the sandwich spread.

Spread one slice with sandwich spread.

Top with another slice of the other color
bread and spread the sandwich spread.

 



Top with a slice of the first color.

Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until
time to serve.  Once cut the
sandwiches dry out quickly.












6.    Take a slice from the second loaf and spread it.

7.    Place the second slice on top of the first slice and top with another slice from the first loaf.  You will have a new loaf of alternation color with spread between the layers.

8.    Turn the loaf with the long side in front of you and slice into finger sandwiches.

Cut in half and cut each half in thirds.

Each sandwich should yield six
fingers of ribbon sandwiches.



9.    Repeat steps 5-8 beginning with a slice from the second loaf first. You may use a different spread for more choice for your guests.

I often do the opposite color with a
different filling.  I chose to do the white
ribbon sandwiches with butter
and cucumber.

The butter is important to keep the bread
from getting soggy from the cucumbers.

 

10. Continue until all the bread or spread is used up.

 

Serve on a platter or fancy tea plates

Pistachio Chive Spread

 

1 pack.           Cream cheese, softened to room temperature (8 oz.)

¼ C                 Pistachios, toasted and chopped

2-3 T               Chives, finely sliced

 

Add all the ingredient and blend thoroughly.

 

Cut the chives finely.

Add the chopped chives to the softened
 cream and blend.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Finely chop the toasted pistachios.



Add to the cream cheese and blend.caption

 

Use as a spread for crackers, spread for crostini, a sandwich spread or dip.

 

Ginger-Mint Iced Tea

Refreshing

 



½ C                 Fresh mint, chopped and tightly packed

1/3 C               Fresh ginger, chopped

1/3 C               Honey (optional)

2 C                  Boiling water

                        Teabags to make 2 quarts tea

1 ½ C              Cold water

                        Ice cubes

                        Fresh mint leaves for garnish

The ingredients

 

                       

1. Combine the chopped mint, ginger, honey and teabags in a heat proof, medium bowl. 



Loosely chop the ginger and mint. 
No need to peel the ginger.

Add the tea bags and honey.

2. Add the boiling water.  Let steep 30 minutes. 

Add the boiling water.

Seep for 30 minutes.











3. Strain the seeped mixture into a two quart pitcher, pressing on the solids to extract liquid. 

Strain the tea into a serving pitcher.

Discard all the solids.











4. Add enough cold water to fill the pitcher. Cover and refrigerate until serving. 

To serve fill glass with ice, pour in
 the tea,and garnish with fresh mint.

Fill the pitcher with cold water and refrigerate.

 

This can be done a day ahead.  This is lightly sweet.  If you prefer sweet iced tea, omit the honey and use sugar to taste.  If you prefer unsweetened iced tea, omit the honey altogether.

 

To serve fill glasses with ice cubes.  Add the tea.  Garnish with mint leaves.

 

Happy Cooking!