Kalamata Olive and Cottage Cheese Sandwich
Creamy cottage cheese mixed with dark purple Kalamata olives, garlic, herbs, Balsamico vinegar, that's what I had in mind when I started my sandwich preparations. My plan changed abruptly as soon as I stirred the chopped olives into the crumbly cottage cheese, I stopped turning the spoon before the oily black mixture blended into the creamy white, the contrast looked so beautiful! I tried some of this puristic spread and I was so impressed by its intensity and simplicity that I dropped everything. This combination is too good, Kalamata olives (to me, they are the best black olives in the world!) plus cottage cheese, no distraction, no further addition, just a few slices of fresh baguette and one parsley leaf on top, that's all it needs! This is the quickest and most simple recipe I've made so far for my Sandwich Wednesday and it's already one of my favourite sandwiches!
If you're looking for a quick snack, a picnic treat, an easy dinner or just a nibble with some crackers, pull out some cottage cheese (200g / 7 ounces) and mix briefly with 50g / 2 ounces (or more) of chopped Kalamata olives. You could use other black olives as well but the large Greek fruits from the Peloponnese region have a wonderful aroma, exactly what you need if you mix only two ingredients. I didn't want to over mix it, I only stirred it twice before I spread the cheese on tiny slices of baguette. The green fleshy parsley leaves on top finished it off and added a fresh taste to this composition. I loved it so much that I ate one slice after the other, it was just enough for 2!
Smoked Wild Salmon, Dill and Cottage Cheese on a Sandwich
It's been a busy week, I need a quick sandwich! That's what's great about sandwiches, they adapt to your life, they go with the circumstances and your mood. Extravagant ingredients and extensive preparation may lead to an amazing result but it's not necessary. I used to make a very simple sandwich together with my father. We would cut thin slices of a dark loaf of bread (rye or spelt), put a few slices of cheese on, Dutch Gouda or Swiss Emmentaler, and some thin slices of juicy cucumber. We sprinkled it with salt and crushed black pepper and it was done. I loved it so much! This was a culinary highlight to me, and sometimes, when I'm in the right mood, it still is.
Today's sandwich is simple but luxurious. It needs thick slices of white bread, I bought a light English bread, baguette or ciabatta work as well. I pair this with a wonderful delicacy from the sea, smoked wild salmon! I don't really like farmed seafood even though I do buy it sometimes, but when I can choose I prefer wild fish, especially when it comes to smoked salmon. It's less fatty and much stronger in taste. Today I want to keep it simple, I just spread some cottage cheese on a slice of bread and put the salmon on top, sprinkled with dill. You could add some freshly grated horseradish for some spiciness, I enjoyed mine without to taste all the fine flavours of the fish.
Besides the bread, I needed 150g / 5.5 ounces of smoked salmon, around 4 heaped tablespoons of cottage cheese and a few sprigs of fresh dill for 2 sandwiches.
