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 good quality 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.

Ingredients:

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
2^1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1^1/2 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

Directions:

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 1^1/2 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.

Makes 2 to 4 servings. Leftover Garlic-Herb Spread is extremely versatile in the kitchen. Use it as a topping for bagels or crackers. It can also be mixed with just-cooked pasta for a simple lunch, or stirred into sautéed spinach for a quick, garlicky creamed spinach.