Gourmet Tea Sandwiches

There's something so satisfying about a vibrant platter of fresh bite sized sandwiches. These tea sandwiches are small in size, but big in flavour - perfect for entertaining. Once the initial prep is done, you can put together a platter of these in no time at all.

Whether you're hosting a party or just want a tasty treat, these gourmet sandwiches are sure to impress.

Ingredient Suggestions:

• A loaf of bread - I used a dutch wholemeal loaf.
• Base layer spreads - I used a beetroot hummus, kumara/sweet potato hummus, spinach and yoghurt dip, and cottage cheese.
• Toppings - cherry tomatoes, radish, carrot, cucumber, strawberries, avocado, spring onion, leafy salad greens, sprouts.
• Garnishes - nasturtium flowers, rosemary flowers, fresh parsley, fresh globe basil leaves, black and white sesame seeds, feta cheese.

Preparation Suggestions:

• Prepare the topping ingredients:
  • Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.
  • Cut the radish into quarters, and thinly slice.
  • Peel the carrot into ribbons to roll, twist or knot.
  • Cut a chunk of cucumber in half. Carefully make 4 thin cuts almost all the way through and the 5th cut completely through. Then bend the 2nd and 4th slices to make a little fan.
  • Peel, halve and thinly slice the avocado. Fan it out into a long thin strip and then twist it around to create a spiral shape. You can also use fanned slices as they are without twisting.
  • Thinly slice the spring onion. If you have time, put the slices into a cup of iced water for about 24 hours to allow the rings to curl up.
• Cut the bread into the size you would like to use. Remember to keep all the slices as uniform as possible. I used a circle cutter.

Assembly Suggestions:

• Add a base layer of spread onto each circle of bread being careful to keep it all on the bread.
• Add a selection of toppings that go well together flavour wise and look good together. Remember to arrange the toppings to create a little height - if all the ingredients are flat it won't look very appealing.
• Add a garnish. This could be a sprinkle of seeds, a twig of fresh herbs, a sprinkle of feta etc. Don't forget to add a little seasoning too.