Derby Classics – Benedictine Spread

Benedictine Spread is a delightfully fresh tasting spread for tea sandwiches. It makes a perfect addition to a classic Derby Day celebration, a Mother’s Day Tea or any spring gathering. It can also be served as a tasty dip for fresh vegetables or as a spread for crackers. As my sister-in-law promised, it is easy to make and surprisingly delicious.

Kentucky Derby Recipes

It’s down to the wire. The Kentucky Derby is the day after tomorrow and I still haven’t posted my addition to the field of Derby recipes for this year. Even though Derby Day is a full seven days into the month of May this time around, I am still running behind, still true to the inspiration for naming this blog three and a half years ago, still doing things in My Own Sweet Thyme.

It’s not that Derby Day isn’t on my mind. Over the past few weeks I’ve cooked and carved a traditional Kentucky Country Ham from Finchville Farms. I’ve also tried a recipe for a Mint Julep Cheesecake and blended a batch of my sister-in-law’s recipe for Benedictine. No, my cooking is on point. It’s just that, distracted by a few bright bursts of sunshine, I haven’t made time to post about them yet. Since Derby Day is now practically here, I’ll start with the simplest of the three.

Benedictine is a recipe my sister-in-law shared with me long ago. Though I grew up in Kentucky, I didn’t really know about this creamy cucumber spread until she described the menu for a Derby Party she hosted. She assured me that Benedictine was a Kentucky classic. She also promised that it was delicious and easy to make.

Classic Benedictine – Old and New

To me Benedictine sounded positively medieval. It brought images of cathedrals and monks to mind, along with the flavors of Benedictine liqueur and mustard made by the Benedictine Sisters in Mt. Angel, OR where I went on retreat a few year ago.

As it turns out though, it’s not that Benedict. Instead, it is Miss Jennie Benedict, the famed restaurateur and caterer from Louisville, Kentucky, that this traditional recipe is named for. This recipe makes a delightfully fresh tasting spread for tea sandwiches – a perfect addition to a classic Derby Day celebration, a Mother’s Day Tea or any spring gathering. It can also be served as a tasty dip for fresh vegetables or as a spread for crackers. As my sister-in-law promised, it is easy to make and surprisingly delicious.

More Derby Day inspirations:

• Read about a family secret and Aunt Hen’s Brownie Pie.
• Share a pan of Mint Julep Brownies topped with whipped cream and Candied Pecans.
• Enjoy a dinner of Country Ham Steaks and Red Eye Gravy, with Southern Style Green Beans and a loaf of Uncle Hal’s Biscuits.
• Try your hand at making homemade candies with traditional Kentucky flavors like Kentucky Bourbon Balls or Bourbon Vanilla Truffles.
• Taste my brother’s version of a classic Mint Julep.
• Or try a new recipe from “The Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook” by Albert W. A. Schmid, like this one for Pan-Seared Salmon with Chipotle Honey-Lime Bourbon Glaze for a new twist on some classic Derby flavors.

Enjoy!

Derby Classics – Benedictine Spread

Course: Appetizers, SandwichesCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Benedictine is a delightfully fresh tasting cream cheese spread that is perfect for tea sandwiches or as a tasty dip with vegetables or crackers.

Ingredients

• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese

• 3 tablespoons cucumber juice

• 1/2 large cucumber, grated and strained

• 1 tablespoon onion juice (from grated and strained onion pulp)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• a short dash of cayenne pepper

• Green food coloring, optional

Directions

• Combine all ingredients, including 1 or 2 drops of optional food coloring, if desired.  Blend with a fork or in a blender until smooth.
• Spread mixture between slices of soft bread. Remove crusts and slice into triangles. Or, transfer mixture into a small bowl and serve as a dip for fresh vegetables or a spread for crackers.