The sandwich as we know it was created in England in 1762 by John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, a British statesman and gambler. He asked for a serving of roast beef to be placed between two slices of bread so he could eat with his hands so he didn’t have to get up from the card or gambling table.
Here are some sandwiches good for a picnic.
Middle Eastern Pita Sandwich
(makes 8 sandwiches)
This recipe came from an old American food magazine.
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas
- 1 T. lemon juice
- ¼ cup chopped onions
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 2 t. vegetable oil
- ¼ cup tahini
- toasted sesame seeds
- 8 pieces pita bread
- shredded lettuce
- sliced olives
- chopped tomatoes
- chopped dill pickles
1. Drain chickpeas and reserve 3 T. liquid.
2. Place chickpeas, liquid and lemon juice in a blender or food processor and blend until pureed.
3. Heat oil in a frying pan and sauté onion and garlic until tender.
4. Combine pureed chickpeas, onion-garlic mixture, tahini and sesame seeds in a bowl.
5. Split pita and fill with chickpea mixture. Add any of the accompaniments (lettuce, olives, tomatoes, pickles).
Tuna Sandwich Spread
(makes 2 cups)
- 6 T. cream cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- 7/8 cup flaked tuna
- 2 T. finely chopped onions or scallions
- 2 t. horseradish
- 1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1. Beat cream cheese and sour cream in a bowl until fluffy.
2. Add tuna, onion, horseradish and Worcestershire sauce and blend.
3. Let stand in refrigerator at least 2 hours. Remove and spread on bread or rolls.
Gazpacho Sandwiches
(makes 8 servings)
This came from a newspaper many years ago.
8 round hard rolls
butter or margarine
4 medium or 6 small thinly sliced tomatoes
2 thinly sliced cucumbers
4 T. minced green peppers
2 T. minced onions
oil-vinegar dressing
1. Cut tops from rolls and remove some bread from tops and bottoms leaving a thin shell. Spread sides of rolls with butter or margarine.
2. Put tops and bottoms together, wrap airtight and refrigerate.
3. In a bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumber, green peppers and onion.
Add enough dressing to moisten well and toss. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
4. Fill roll bottom with gazpacho mixture, replace tops and cut in half.
Serve at once.
Sybil Kaplan is a journalist, author, compiler/contributor/editor of 9 kosher cookbooks (working on a 10th) and food writer for North American Jewish publications. She lives in Jerusalem, where she has led weekly walks in English of the Jewish food market, Machaneh Yehudah, since 2009. She wrote the kosher Jerusalem restaurant features for Janglo.net, the oldest, largest website for English speakers, from 2014 to 2020.
