Benedictine
I feel very strongly that our childhood food memories play a large part in informing what foods we gravitate towards as adults. My husband and I have sat around more than once discussing the things we used to love eating as well as the foods we HATED as kids. Growing up in New York, my husband ate a lot of pizza, Chinese food, bagels, smoked fish and black and white cookies, while I was busy eating my southern diet of cheese grits, ham and my personal favorite, benedictine.
My husband likes to make fun of the fact that almost every recipe in our family contains cheese in obscene quantities, and it’s true, southerners do like their cheese. My grandmother used to make the most heavenly tea sandwiches for us using this homemade spread called benedictine. Her recipe called for green food coloring, but in keeping with our “no dyes” principal at weelicious, I left it out and was shocked that the cucumber still gave it a gorgeous green hue. Most kids I know love cream cheese, so why not let them give this twist on it a whirl. Whether I spread it on pita, rice cakes or toast, it’s a winner every time. Even with my husband.
Benedictine (Makes 1 1/2 Cups)
1 Medium Cucumber, peeled (use english or seedless cucumbers if you can find them)
2 Tbsp Yellow Onion (about 1/4 of a small onion)
8 Oz Cream Cheese
1/2 Tsp Salt
Sandwich Bread
1. Cut cucumber in half and remove the seeds with a spoon.
2. Place the cucumber and onion in a food processor and puree.
3. Place the puree in a stainer to drain off excess liquid.
4. Place the cucumber mixture back in the food processor with the cream cheese and salt and puree until combined.
5. Spread onto bread to make sandwiches.
6. Serve.
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Tags: benedictine, bread, cream cheese, cucumber, food coloring, green dye, Lunch Ideas, lunch ideas for kids, onion, salt, sandwich spread, southern foods, southern recipes, traditional recipes
I just made this…well sortof. It was my intention to make this but I got disctracted and forgot to strain off the liquid and it turned out way soupy. I’m so mad at myself. We just used it to dip cut up veggies in. VERY tasty!!! Do you think it will set up firmer in the fridge since I had the cream cheese softened when I made it?
It might, I’m not really sure but I think, maybe, it will separate from the liquid after sitting for a while in the fridge, if it does then just toss the liquid sitting on the top and just stir again. If it doesn’t then you made a fantastic veggie dip!!