Roast Beef Sandwiches with Garlic-Herb Spread

Roast Beef Sandwiches with Garlic-Herb Spread
These café-style sandwiches, a variation on roast beef and Boursin, are easy to make at home,
and travel well in lunchboxes or picnic baskets. Just don’t skimp on the ingredients. Find a goodquality
baguette with some crust; the bad ones are so flimsy that they flop back and forth when
you pick them up! Purchase tender roast beef from a deli and ask that it be thinly sliced.

Garlic-Herb Spread
8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Juice of 1 lemon
21/2 teaspoons kosher salt
11/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Sandwiches
1 large, crusty French baguette
6 tablespoons garlic-herb spread (from recipe)
4 to 6 large romaine lettuce leaves, washed and dried
1 large tomato, sliced
3/4 pound sliced roast beef
6 to 8 cornichons, sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

■ For the garlic-herb spread: Place the butter
and cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Using an
electric mixer, beat on medium to high speed
until fluffy and light. Add the sour cream,
parsley, garlic, oregano, basil, cumin, thyme,
lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Mix on low
speed until well blended. Makes 11/2 pounds.

■ For the sandwiches: Slice the baguette in
half lengthwise. Place each half cut-side up.
Spread 3 tablespoons of the garlic-herb
spread on each half. On one half layer the
lettuce, tomato, roast beef, and cornichons.
Season with salt and pepper. Place the other
half of the baguette on top. Slice in half or
into smaller pieces.