Israeli gvina levana open sandwiches with radish, cucumber and dill
An Israeli breakfast open sandwich: 5% gvina levana soft white cheese whipped with lemon zest and dill, crisp radishes and thoroughly dried cucumber, with a pinch of fleur de sel added at the last moment, on freshly baked country bread.
Method
- Wash the dill, spin or shake dry and finely chop without the thick stalks, giving 3 tbsp, then divide into two piles. Finely slice the spring onion, if using. Finely grate the zest of the third of a lemon, avoiding the bitter white pith, then squeeze 2 tsp juice.
- In a bowl, beat the gvina levana with a spoon for 30 seconds with the zest, juice, half the dill, the spring onion, the pinch of fine salt and 2 grinds of pepper, until smooth, soft and glossy with no lumps. Refrigerate while preparing the vegetables so the zest and dill infuse the cheese.
- Trim the leaves and root tips off the radishes, wash them and the cucumber, then dry both thoroughly. Cut the radishes into 2 mm rounds and the cucumber into 2 mm half-moons. Spread on kitchen paper and blot if they release water.
- Cut 4 slices of bread, 1.5 cm thick and 40 g each. If the bread is a day old, toast for 2 minutes until golden but still soft in the middle and cool for 1 minute. Spread the cheese right to the edges, then arrange alternating cucumber and radish slices on top so each bite contains both vegetables.
- Just before serving, sprinkle the radishes and cucumber with fleur de sel, add the remaining dill, 3 grinds of pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately, two open sandwiches per person: salting the vegetables earlier would draw out their water and make the bread soggy.
On your plate
Recipe
334 kcal · protein 15 g · carbs 47 g · fat 8 g
Quantities per person
- 80 g Bread (baguette or country loaf)
- 100 g Soft white cheese, 5% fat (gvina levana, 250 g pot)
- 50 g Radishes
- 70 g Cucumbers
- 3 g Fresh dill
- 5 g Spring onions
- 20 g Lemon
- 0.25 g Fine salt
- 0.5 g Fleur de sel
- 3 g Extra virgin olive oil
- 0.25 g Black peppercorns
Cooking tips
The whipped cheese can be made the day before and kept covered in the fridge; in that case, add the lemon juice in the morning. For a more substantial breakfast, add one hard-boiled egg per person, sliced over the radishes: cook for 10 minutes in boiling water, then cool in cold water. For a variation, replace the remaining dill with a pinch of za'atar over the olive oil drizzle. To take away, keep the cheese and vegetables chilled, carry the bread in a separate bag and add the fleur de sel when ready to eat.
The bread, soft white cheese and raw vegetables of an Israeli breakfast, aruchat boker.
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