Most days I eat open sandwiches on rye bread for lunch. The toppings are always seasonal and often involve leftovers from dinner, as I find you can eat most things on rye bread. Here are three of my summer classics.
Each serves 4
For the smoky summer salad
cream cheese 150g
mayonnaise 2 tbsp
smoked salt 1 tsp
chives 4 tbsp, finely chopped, plus more to serve
cucumber ½
rye bread 4 slices
salted butter for the bread
radishes 100g, finely sliced
sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
pea shoots to serve
For the potato and capers
rye bread 4 slices
salted butter for the bread
boiled potatoes 8
mayonnaise 4 tbsp
capers 4 tbsp
flat leaf parsley leaves from 2 sprigs
freshly ground black pepper
For the tomatoes and eggs
rye bread 4 slices
salted butter for the bread
capers 4 tbsp
flavourless vegetable oil 1 tbsp
hard-boiled eggs 4
mayonnaise 4 tbsp
cherry tomatoes 12, red and yellow
lovage 4 tbsp, or celery leaves
sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
For the smoky summer salad topping, in a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, smoked salt and chives, seasoning well with salt and pepper. Cut the cucumber into slices or 3-4cm batons. Place the rye bread slices on a work top and spread butter evenly on each slice. Place cucumber slices on each piece of bread, then the cream cheese and radishes. Decorate with pea shoots, then sprinkle with salt and pepper to serve.
For the potato and caper topping, place the rye bread slices on a work top and spread butter evenly on each slice. Slice the potatoes and divide them between the slices of bread. Place small dollops of mayonnaise on the potatoes, then spread capers evenly on top. Decorate with the parsley leaves and pepper to serve.
For the tomato and egg topping, place the rye bread slices on a work top and spread butter evenly on each slice. In a small frying pan, fry the capers in the oil until each opens up like a little flower and becomes crisp. Drain them on kitchen paper to blot off any excess oil. Cut the eggs into wedges and place on the bread. Dot the mayo on top, then scatter over the fried capers. Halve the tomatoes and place on top, sprinkled with salt and pepper. Decorate with the lovage or celery leaves to serve.
From Scandinavian Green by Trine Hahnemann (Quadrille, £26)
