Whether it’s a cocktail party, morning tea, finger luncheon or just a simple gathering of friends over a cuppa, you can’t go wrong with a sandwich. If the call goes out for the good old Kiwi ‘bring a plate’, it’s a sure bet that freshly made sandwiches will go down a treat and be the first platter to be cleaned up. Everybody loves a really good sandwich – something I wish cafés would cotton on to.
How often do you go to a café and are daunted by the humongous size of the food in the cabinet, when all you want is just a small bite to go with your morning coffee? Perhaps of all the things I ever prepared for my mother, to tempt her to eat in her final years, asparagus rolls were her favourite. When new season’s asparagus arrived in the stores, I would prepare about eight dainty little rolls and take them to her and her friend in the next room at the care home, and they would adore them. Easy to eat in the fingers and always delicious.
A classic New Zealand treat, asparagus rolls are usually made with tinned asparagus, but are superb when made with the abundant fresh asparagus currently in season. If you’re making asparagus rolls ahead, cover them with plastic wrap and then put a very damp clean tea towel round them. They will stay moist for up to six hours.
The other sure-to-please is a good old ham and egg club sandwich. This may be the best ham and egg sandwich you have ever had; white or wholemeal bread, layered with good ham and mustard, and the other ha.